At an estimated 2000 years old the Yew at Payhembury, which
grows on the site of a Holy Spring named "The Six Bells", is
regarded as being the oldest in Devon and 3rd oldest in the UK. It
is also the thickest (if classed as a single tree) and has an
incredible girth of 46'6"! Yet it is a mystery to whether the tree
is in fact just the one or perhaps more?
It is known that the four fragments, that are of similar age and
all radiating from the centre where the original tree once stood,
differ in sex. Two male, one female, and the other unverifiable,
which obviously suggests more than the one tree. Others disagree,
arguing that since it is occasionally possible to find both male
and female parts on the same tree before fragmentation, so it
should also be possible to find both sexes on a tree that has
fragmented.
Evidence that strengthens the fact of it being a single Yew is
that it is recorded as having been struck by lightning. The
following is taken from "Travels in Victorian Devon, Illustrated
Journals and Sketchbooks 1846 - 1870", compiled by Jeremy Butler
from Peter Orlando Hutchinson's notebooks.
"We...examined Payhembury Church.....In the churchyard at the
north-east part there is a remarkable yew tree of great size. I
thought it was four yew trees growing close together with just
space enough to walk between the trunks, but the sexton's wife who
accompanied us said that it was one tree which many years ago had
been struck by lightning and split into four portions down to the
ground." (Wednesday August 24, 1859)
Please do not eat any berries or seeds nearby as they could
be highly toxic!