The Sussex tree that pre-dates the Norman Conquest

The tree is in the churchyard at Wilmington, the village famous for it’s Long Man chalk hill figure, and existed before the church was built.

The ancient tree, which is double-stemmed and has a girth of 23 feet, is believed to have been planted by pagans in about 400 AD. The church, St Mary and St Peter’s was built next to it 600 years later.

It is supported by a number of wooden props to keep the branches up.

Yew tree, because of their longevity are often associated with resurrection. In Tudor times it was common to tie sprigs of yew to coffins.

The English longbow, used at Crecy and Agincourt was traditionally made from yew wood which was prized for its strength and elasticity.

Back in 2020 The Woodland Trust placed the ancient tree on its England Tree of the Year shortlist.

Wilmington is one of the Saxon fortified hill villages probably settled by Aelle after 477AD. The name is derived from Wylm (cloud) ington (fortified village on a hill). It was later recorded in the Domesday Book as Wineltone.