Priory and Hospital of St Bartholomew - 850 years - St Bartholomew-the-Great Churchyard, London, UK
N 51° 31.127 W 000° 06.003
30U E 701191 N 5711505
This yew tree was planted in 1973 to mark the 850th anniversary of the founding of the Priory and Hospital of St Bartholomew in 1123. The tree is on the north western edge of St Bartholomew-the-Great's churchyard in Cloth Fair.
Waymark Code: WMNEH2
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 02/28/2015
Views: 5
The metal plaque at the base of the tree is inscribed:
Taxus Baccata (English Yew)
Planted by
The Rt Revd Bishop R W Stannard
Master of the
Worshipful Company of Gardeners
on the occasion of the 850th
anniversary of the foundation of
the Priory and Hospital of
St Bartholomew in Smithfield
and 1973 Plant a Tree Year.
Presented by the
Worshipful Company of Gardeners
The London Gardens Online website tells us:
St Bartholomew-the-Great was originally the church of the Priory founded here in 1123 by Rahere, who also founded St Bartholomew's Hospital nearby. He was buried here in 1143 and has a C15th monument in the church. In 1133 the Priory established Bartholomew Fair, which became the largest cloth fair in the country and continued until 1855. The Priory was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1539; the nave of the church was demolished and the churchyard created here, although the Priory gateway remains. From here a straight path leads to the church entrance with the principal area of former churchyard on the left now laid out as a raised garden, reached by steps from the path. There are a number of headstones in the grass, and trees include London plane and an English yew planted to commemorate the 850th anniversary of the Priory Church. An informal garden to the south-east of the church is overlooked from Bartholomew Close.