Yew

Available for over a year

Brett Westwood steps inside the trunk of an ancient yew tree in a churchyard in Bennington in Hertfordshire, with the writer and naturalist Richard Mabey. From their extraordinary vantage point, the two men begin to unravel the history of our relationship with this most ancient and fascinating of trees. Over the centuries, yews have inspired poets, writers, painters and topiarists - who have shaped them into everything from peacocks to police helmets. With the help of writer and botanist Paul Evans, we learn that the yew is a tree unlike any other: a long-lived, regenerating, poisonous, evergreen, revered, medicinal rule-breaker. Originally broadcast in a longer form 22/11/2016 Original Producer: Sarah Blunt Archive Producer Andrew Dawes for BBC Audio in Bristol