Millennium Yew Tree - St Mary - Walton-le-Wolds, Leicestershire - Made for the Millennium on Waymarking.com

A yew tree presented by the Conservation Foundation to celebrate the third Christian millennium, situated in the grounds of St Mary's church, Walton-le-Wolds.
A plaque at the base of the young tree reads:
'Yews for the millennium
This yew tree was
presented by
The Conservation Foundation
to celebrate the third
Christian millennium.'

"Yews for the Millennium was one of the most successful British Millennium projects – and one that should still be visible at the turn of the next millennium.

It originated as part of ARC's Sacred Land project.

In 1999 the UK Conservation Foundation took cuttings from Yew trees that were alive at the time of Christ and planted them for the new Millennium. Several hundred of these ancient trees still live across Britain, almost all in churchyards. The yew in Fortingall churchyard near Aberfeldy in Scotland might even be as old as 8,000 years, making it the oldest living thing in Britain.

The mythological Scandinavian Yggdrasil tree – worshipped as the tree of knowledge and the pillar of the universe – was almost certainly a Yew

It was expected that a few hundred churches would take up the gift of a yew sapling but in the end more than 8,000 saplings were distributed, and crowds gathered in cathedrals and local churches for the blessing of these tiny plants.

In the year 3000 one in 20 of these yews could still be alive. And in the next hundred years these trees will provide shelter in churchyards, and act as memorials to the local enthusiasm for nature and the sacred.

Since the reason after all for there being a millennium celebration was the birth of Christ, the Yews project chose the ancient sacred trees that were alive during the life of Jesus to be appropriate symbols for the celebration.

The Conservation Foundation Yew Tree Campaign was launched by David Bellamy in 1987 to ensure the protection of Britain's oldest trees – and invite the public to record and look after their local yews."

SOURCE - (visit link)

Can you tell us who created the item: Conservation Foundation Condition of the item: Great Related web site: Not listed So what did YOU do for the millennium?: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
To record a visit to a Millennium Waymark, please:

Take a photo of the item during your visit.

Describe your visit and what you thought about the item.

Please also mention what you personally did to mark the new Millennium. Was it a night to remember?

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