Veteran Yews
There are two 'veteran' yews on the edge of the lawn behind Broomfield House. Both have been extensively reduced in height due to storm damage.
The souvenir programme commemorating the opening of the park in April 1903 stated that they were believed to be 800 years old. However, the 2016 Conservation Management Plan for Broomfield House estimates them to be over 300 years old.
It is very difficult to precisely date the age of a yew. The dendrologist Alan Mitchell is quoted as saying “most trees look older than they are except for yews which are even older than they look.”
London’s oldest yew is probably the Totteridge yew in the churchyard of St Andrew and is thought to be 2000 years old. The oldest yew in the UK is in Perthshire and is believed to be between 2,000 and 3,000 years old.
In British folklore, yew is associated with immortality and death and are a feature of many churchyards.
Yew is one of the hardest of all softwood species. All parts of the yew tree are considered toxic and poisonous to humans.
dfmarch66 • June 1, 2020
Great to see the boating pond back in use!
It has been a long time coming....!
Palmers Green "Paint Jam": street artists, muralists & spray paint workshop.
For many years the FoBP has been welcoming local primary schools to visit the park for educational activities and to learn about nature and wildlife on their doorstep. We are inviting new volunteers to join the team and support young people learning about the environment and biodiversity.
Celebrating the birds and wildfowl in our park
Funding for three projects to enhance Broomfield Park
Online Seminar on volunteer-led community gardens
FoBP - Becoming a Registered Charity
Record the birds that visit Broomfield Park
Find out about the FoBP becoming a charity
