The Buzz from the Biz - Farringdon Village News 2019

FARRINGDON YEW TREE secured - Updated 13th December 2022

A professional photographer was in action on the 29th November when the 'Biz' photographer arrived (armed with the official Box Brownie) to capture the ceremony, celebrating the completion of the work to preserve and support the ancient Yew in All Saints Churchyard.

Farringdon Parochial Church Council were present in force for a short presentation from FPCC member Bryan Orchard who led the project to raise funds to desig and install a new support system to replace the original cable system which gave way in February 2019.

Representatives from East Hants District Council, The Woodland Trust and the South Downs National ParkPark were on hand to celebrate completion of the new support system to preserve the 3,000 year old tree for future generations.

From Left to right Alex Roe, Bryan Orchard, Rev. Carrie Walshaw, Anne Charrington, Alison De Ledesma, Stuart Garside (EHDC) Rhiannon Hoy (Woodland Trust) & Robert Mocatta (SDNP)

The Parochial Church Council campaign preserve the Ancient Yew tree in Farringdon Churchyard has finally came to fruition as contractors moved in in October to assemble a new cradle to replace the pre war construction which finally gave way in the winter of 2019.

2.5 metre holes were bored around the tree to hold anchor plates to which cables are attached to support a vertical steel tube in the hollow centre of the tree.

Once the stay wires are in place and tensioned up the mast will provide the central support for the tree

anchor plate Support Mast

Ground plates held down by the anchors are attached by tensioned cables to the top of the new central support to hold the new mast, in the centre of the tree, upright and stable

Cables and strops (see below) are attached to the top plate of the new central mast, supporting and stabilizing those sectors of the trunk that remained more or less upright.

strops

Farringdon Yew

To prevent excessive movement, anchored tubular braces are bolted into the various branches to restrict lateral movement and prevent further damage to the main parts of the trunk.

The stem that fell across the Church Pathway, which is still showing signs of growth could not be pulled upright without risking further damage, so Steve Watt's temporary wooden truss has been reinforced with more permanent steel supports

Hopefully this structural support will preserve the Ancient Yew for future generations