This Creationtide, we visited St George’s Church in Crowhurst to film the ancient yew nominated for The Woodland Trust’s ‘Tree of the Year’ 2026. Said to be 4,000 years old, the tree is possibly the oldest tree in England and dates back long before the church it is next to – which is itself thought to be the oldest St George’s Church in England!
In our film above, Revd Sue Bosley shared some of the history of the ancient tree – which includes surviving a direct cannon ball hit in the English Civil War and being turned into an enclosed meeting room in the 1800s! – and speaks about the duty and calling that we as Christians have in celebrating and stewarding God’s Creation. She is pleased that alongside the many visitors to the tree and church, scientists have taken cuttings from this incredible, long-lived tree to learn about preservation and conservation for the future.
Ancient trees are invaluable sources of habitat for a wide variety of insects and wildlife, as well as providing a range of benefits to us not only in the fight against climate breakdown, but also in supporting the ecosystem that pollinates our crops and from which we derive many medicines. Although all parts of the yew tree are fatally poisonous and should never be eaten, scientists are able to extract taxol from the trees which is used to treat a range of cancers.
Vote for the Crowhurst Yew
A lot of today’s trees were around during the 17th century English Civil War, but this is the only one we know of that can claim to have survived direct cannon fire! In 1820, villagers discovered a cannonball embedded inside the trunk, thought to result from a wayward shot at the opposite farm which may have been a target for Cromwell’s troops. The discovery was made when the villagers hollowed out the trunk to create a room as a parish meeting place, tables, chairs, door and all. The roof of this hollowed out room collapsed during a violent storm in 1845, and yet this tenacious tree lived on. It still stands in St George’s churchyard, with the wooden door giving a clue to the tree’s astonishing past.
