Ancient Yew Tree Tours
Tree Tourism. Wales is the country with the largest collection of ancient yew trees on earth
The tour takes in the 5,000 year old yew at Defynnog, probably the oldest tree in Britain, as well as the 4,000 year old yew at Bettws Newydd. Your tour guide is Yew Historian, Janis Fry who will introduce you to 12 ancient yews on the 2 day tour or 6 ancient yews on the 1 day tour. The 12 yews we will visit are at Defynnog, Penpont, Llanspiddyd, Brecon Cathedral, Cantref, Llanfeugan, Llanbedr Ystradwy, Llanelly, Llanwenarth, Llanarth, Llangattock Juxta Usk, and Bettws Newydd. All of these places are church sites.
We will meet the mini bus, by Brecon Tourist Information Centre, Cattle Market Car Park, Market Street, Brecon LD3 9DA, where the day begins with coffee or tea and a talk by Janis Fry at 10.00 am.
The tour costs £55 a day per person for 8 - 12 people, £100 each a day for 2 people, £70 each a day for 3 or 4 and £60 each for 5 - 8. We will stop for lunch at a cafe on route. You will need stout shoes and possibly a waterproof jacket, as some places may be muddy.
Dates can be tailored to suit you.
You tell us when you want to go.
The whole tour takes 2 days but you can opt for just one day.
Day 1 Defynnog to Llanfeugan.
Day 2 Llanbedr Ystradwy to Bettws Newydd.
Please contact Heather Hornung on 07950 004588 or email ancientyewtours@gmail.com
Visit Janis' facebook page for more information: www.facebook.com
Download Ancient Yew Tour around Brecon and Usk leaflet here
Ancient Yews in Britain
Wales has the largest number of ancient yews on earth. Although there are still uncounted yews, here there are at least 19 yews over 2,000 years, 11 over 3,000, 1 over 4,000 and 3 over 5,000. So that’s around 34 yews over 2,000 years in Wales. Numbers of ancient yews for the whole of Britain total 111. These figures are based on current information and may expand further.
Aged 5,000 years plus (3 yews)
Defynnog, Brecon
Llangernwy, Clwyd
Discoed, Powys
Aged 4,000 years (1 yew)
Bettws Newydd, Monmouthshire
Aged 3,000 years (11 yews)
Alltmawr, near Builth Wells, Powys
Dinas Mawddwy, Gwynedd
Llanafan Fawr, Powys
Llanfaredd , near Builth Wells, Powys
LLanymawddwy, Gwynedd
Llandeiniolen, Gwynedd
Llandre, Cerdigion
Llanfihangel Nant Melan, Powys
Llantrithyd, Glamorgan
Llangynyw, Powys
Llanbedr Ysradyw
Aged 2,000 years (19 yews)
There are 18 places in Wales that have yews that are over 2,000 years old. At some of these places there are more than 1 yew.
Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, Clwyd
Llanarth, Gwent
Lanfeugan, Brecon
Llangathen, Carmarthenshire
Llangattock Juxta Usk
Llanilid, Glamorgan
Llanspiddyd, Powys
Mynydd Islwyn, Gwent
Nantmel, Powys
Pennant Melangell, Powys
Penpont, Powys
Ystradgynlais, Powys
Ysbyty Ifan, Clwyd
Pantybeudy, Llangeithio, Ceredigion
Gwytheryn, Conway
Mamhilad, Gwent
Rhulen, Near Builth, Powys
Meidrim, Carmarthenshire
Cyffylliog, Denbighshire
In the rest of Britain we find:-
1 yew over 5,000 years
Fortingall, Scotland
3 yews over 4,000 years
Linton, Herefordshire
Crowhurst, Surrey
Tisbury, Wiltshire
24 yews over 3,000 years
Old Colwall, Herefordshire
Clun, Shropshire
Kentchurch , Herefordshire
Ankerwycke, Runnymede
Ashbrittle, Somerset
Claverley , Shropshire
Coldwaltham, Sussex
Farringdon, Hampshire,
Kenn, Devon
Kennington Kent
Long Sutton, Hampshire
Knowlton, Dorset
All Hallows, Dorset
Woodcott, Hampshire
Woolland, Dorset
Yazor, Herefordshire
Lytchett Matravers, Dorset
Whitbury, Dorset
Mansel Gamage Wood, Herefordshire
Norbury, Shropshire
Payhembury, Devon
Peterchurch, Herefordshire
Stanstead, Kent
Boulsbury, Dorset
51 yews over 2,000 years
Totalling 51. There are therefore around 79 ancient yews (yews over 2,000 years) in the rest of Britain, excluding Wales and 110 ancient yews altogether.
Acton Scott, Shropshire
Aldwirth, Berkshire
Ankerwycke, Buckinghamshire
Astbury, Cheshire
Awre, Gloucestershire
Boarhunt, Hampshire
Borrowdale, Cumbria
Buckland in Dover, Kent
Burcott Farm, Herefordshire
Buxsted, Sussex
Challock, Kent
Craswall, Herefordshire
Crowhurst, Sussex
Darley Dale, Derbyshire
Druids Grove, Surrey
Dunster, Somerset
Hambledon, Surrey
Harrietsham, Kent
South Hayling, Hampshire
Hope Bagot, Shropshire
Huntley,Gloucestershire
Loose, Kent
Loughton, Shropshire
Kemble. Cloucestershire
Leeds, Kent
Mamhead, Devon
Marston Bigot, Somerset
Martindale, Cumbria
Merddon Castle, Hampshire
Mid Lavant, Sussex
Middleton Scriven, Shropshire
Molash, Kent
Newlands Corner, Surrey
Old Enton, Surrey
Overton on Dee, Shropshire
Temple farm, Wiltshire
Totteridge, Hertfordshire
Ulcombe, Kent
Uppington, Shropshire
Wintershall, Surrey
Wilmington, Sussex
Prior's Dean, Hampshire
Rycote Manor, Oxfordshire
Sidbury, Shropshire
Snoddington Manor, Hampshire
Staunton, Worcestershire
Tettenhall, West Midlands
Stedham, Sussex
Stockbury, Kent
Tandridge, Surrey
Tangley, Hampshire