Yews in the Church Yard

The two yew trees either side of the porch and the laurel on the left-hand side have been trimmed as far as is possible but are extremely difficult to maintain as they have grown so big and as a result have become very unattractive.  The PCC has therefore sought and been granted permission to remove them completely and replace them with two new yew trees planted further away from the path and

These decisions are always fraught but two major advantages of undertaking this work are that it will open up the view of the porch and the war memorial to people coming up the path from the lych gate, and it will make maintenance much easier.  Finally, it will allow us to get rid of the stray laurel that has grown very close to the yew on the left-hand side.  This has, over time, grown into the side of the yew making it visually unattractive and almost impossible to improve by trimming.  As many of you will know, yew wood is extremely hard, and we are proposing to ask the tree surgeon to remove them at the same time as he works on the lime tree*.  Although these changes will take some getting used to, the PCC is anxious to make the maintenance of the Churchyard easier whilst retaining its character as far as is possible.  We are none of us getting any younger!

* The Friends of the Church have done an amazing job of looking after the Churchyard and the Church Field during the Autumn and Winter.  Keeping the ivy and weeds down, and restoring some order to the area by keeping it free of branches brought down by the various storms we have had and are having as a write.  The maintenance is ever ongoing and has been a job well done.

One of the problems we face is looking after the trees and shrubs in the Churchyard and to prevent those near the Church from causing damage.  Our Architect advised that the tree nearest the tower should be monitored as it is perilously close to touching the tower.  We have therefore appointed a tree surgeon to “reduce” it, before the leaves start to come.  This tree is not only beginning to touch the tower, but produces quantities of leaves that have, over time, blown into the sumps on the roof of the tower causing major problems with damp on the roof and affecting the timbers underneath.  There is a pressing need for repair work to the roof, but there is no point in thinking about this whilst the tree is exacerbating the problem!

Cookies For Comments Image