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
Numbers of Ancient Yews in Britain
Britain and in particular Wales, has the largest number of ancient yews in the world. Although there are still undiscovered yews, we now believe that in Wales, there are at least 21 yews aged at 2,000 years plus, 10 of 3,000 years plus, 1 at 4,000 years plus and 3 at 5,000 years plus, totalling 35 yews aged at over 2,000 years in Wales.
In the rest of Britain we have recorded 82 yews aged at 2,000 years plus. This total is made up of 54 yews aged at 2,000 years plus, 24 at 3,000 years plus, 3 at 4,000 years plus and 1 at 5,000 years plus.
Numbers of ancient yews for the whole of Britain therefore total 117. These figures are based on current information and may expand further. At some of the places listed here, there are more than 1 ancient yew.
Aged 5,000 years plus (3 yews)
Defynnog, Brecon
Discoed, Powys
Llangernwy, Clwyd
Aged 4,000 years (1 yew)
Bettws Newydd, Monmouthshire
Aged 3,000 years (10 yews)
Alltmawr, near Builth Wells, Powys
Llanafan Fawr, Powys
Llanbedr Ystrad Yw, Breconshire
Llandeiniolen, Gwynedd
Llandre, Cerdigion
Llanfaredd , near Builth Wells, Powys
Llanfeugan, Breconshire
Llangynyw, Powys
Llanymawddwy, Gwynedd
Llantrithyd, Glamorgan
Aged 2,000 years (21 yews)
Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, Clwyd
Llanarth, Gwent
Llandrillo, Denbighshire
Llanfihangel Nant Melan, Powys
Llangathen, Carmarthenshire
Llangattock Juxta Usk
Llanilid, Glamorgan
Llanspiddyd, Powys
Maesmynis, Powys
Mynydd Islwyn, Gwent
Nantmel, Powys
Pantllidw, Machynlleth
Pennant Melangell, Powys
Penpont, Powys
Ystradgynlais, Powys
Pantybeudy, Llangeithio, Ceredigion
Gwytheryn, Conway
Mamhilad, Gwent
Rhulen, Near Builth, Powys
Meidrim, Carmarthenshire
Cyffylliog, Denbighshire
In the rest of Britain,
Aged 5,000 years plus (1 yew)
Fortingall, Scotland
Aged 4,000 years plus (3 yews)
Crowhurst, Surrey
Linton, Herefordshire
Tisbury, Wiltshire
Aged 3,000 years plus (24 yews)
All Hallows, Dorset
Ankerwycke, Runnymede, Surrey
Ashbrittle, Somerset
Bulbarrow, Dorset
Clun, Shropshire
Claverley , Shropshire
Coldwaltham, Sussex
Farringdon, Hampshire,
Kenn, Devon
Kennington Kent
Kentchurch , Herefordshire
Knowlton, Dorset
Long Sutton, Hampshire
Lytchett Matravers, Dorset
Mansel Gamage Wood, Herefordshire
Norbury, Shropshire
Old Colwall, Herefordshire
Payhembury, Devon
Peterchurch, Herefordshire
Stanstead. Kent
Woodcott, Hampshire
Woolland, Dorset
Whitbury, Dorset
Yazor, Herefordshire
Aged 2,000 years plus (54 yews)
Acton Scott, Shropshire
Aldworth, Berkshire
Ankerwycke, near Runnymede, Buckinghamshire
Astbury, Cheshire
Awre, Gloucestershire
Boarhunt, Hampshire
Buckland in Dover, Kent
Burcott Farm, Herefordshire
Buxted, Sussex
Challock, Kent
Cradley, Worcestershire
Craswall, Herefordshire
Crowhurst, Sussex
Darley Dale, Derbyshire
Druids Grove, Surrey
Dunster, Somerset
Elworthy, Somerset
Hambledon, Surrey
Harrietsham, Kent
Hope Bagot, Shropshire
Huntley,Gloucestershire
Kemble, Cloucestershire
Leeds, Kent
Loose, Kent
Loughton, Shropshire
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
Prior’s Dean, Hampshire
Rycote Manor, Oxfordshire
Sidbury, Shropshire
Snoddington Manor, Hampshire
South Hayling, Hampshire
Staunton, Worcestershire
Stedham, Sussex
Stockbury, Kent
Tandridge, Surrey
Tangley, Hampshire
Tettenhall, West Midlands
Temple farm, Wiltshire
Totteridge, Hertfordshire
Ulcombe, Kent
Uppington, Shropshire
West Tisted, Hampshire
Wilmington, Sussex
Wintershall, Surrey
Zeal Monachorum, Devon
Number of Ancient Yews in Britain
Janis has started the petition "UK Parliament: Legal protection for ancient yew trees" and wanted to see if you could help by adding your name. My goal is to reach 10,000 signatures and I need more support. You can read more and sign the petition here:
www.change.org/p/uk-parliament-legal-protection-for-ancient-yew-trees