The Yew Trees of St Mary’s: Living Witnesses to 1,500 Years of History
- ZMS
- Sep 7
- 2 min read
When you step into the churchyard at St Mary’s, Stelling Minnis, you’re greeted not only by the medieval stonework of the church but also by ancient, dark-green yew trees that have stood here for centuries. One of them, a female yew, is thought to be around 1,500 years old—older than the church itself, and even older than Augustine’s arrival in Kent in AD 597.
Why Yews in Churchyards?
Yew trees have long been symbols of eternity and renewal. Evergreen, long-lived, and mysterious, they were revered long before Christianity reached these shores. Early churches often kept or planted yews as a bridge between ancient traditions and the Christian promise of eternal life.
A Survivor Through the Ages
The great yew of St Mary’s would already have been mature when the first missionaries arrived in Kent. By the 13th century, when the church was built, it had already witnessed centuries of change. Even the storm of 1987, which felled one of the churchyard’s trees, could not claim them all—the survivor still stands, hollowed but strong, its branches a canopy of resilience.
Sacred Symbolism
Evergreen hope: reminding us of life beyond death.
Longevity: with lifespans of millennia, yews embody permanence.
Dual nature: both protective and poisonous, reflecting life’s mysteries.
Generations of villagers have gathered, prayed, mourned, and celebrated beneath its branches. Unlike gravestones that weather away, the yew itself keeps growing—adding its own story to the parish’s memory.
Why It Matters Today
In an age of climate awareness, the yew has fresh meaning. It is part of our ecological as well as spiritual heritage, a reminder of the importance of care for creation. For visitors, it is a quiet teacher—urging us to slow down, breathe, and recognise the depth of time in which our own lives are just a moment.
So next time you visit St Mary’s, pause under the yew. Feel its bark, listen to the silence, and imagine the countless prayers it has heard. The tree is more than a landmark—it is living history in wood and leaf.
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