National Trust - Ankerwycke Yew

Lovely walk through the fields until you find this tree. There is a plaque right next to it and some benches so you can sit and wonder at its beauty.

Beautiful place with an ancient tree and lovely and helping locals.

Beautiful landscape hiding an incredible living organism. The Ankerwycke Yew is stepped in so much history. It is said that Henry VIII courted Anne Boleyn under this very tree. The tree witnessed the signing of the Magna Carta by King John in 1215 on the opposite riverbank. It was even here when the Roman Empire was a thing in Britain. Looking old, but not anywhere near as old as it really is, the yew is a monstrous 2,500 years old, and can probably live for another thousand years!

Spiritual walk. I walked from Staines but not sure why Google suggested a wrong way which you can’t reach the tree from the other side of Thames. Luckily, I went to Magna Carta Lane first then took the circular walk to the tree.

Beautiful old tree. Very peaceful and reflective place. Do not follow Google Maps instructions to get here as it takes you to the wrong side of the river and it's a long walk round.

Fascinating tree. Nice serene area to walk around, you might want to bring your wellies if it's been raining. From the "car park", go through the gate to the field, then head left (south), through the gates on the left once you get to the river with the bench. Then turn right when you get to the straight path under the trees.

The Ankerwycke Yew is an ancient yew tree close to the ruins of St Mary's Priory, the site of a Benedictine nunnery built in the 12th century, near Wraysbury in Berkshire, England. It is a male tree with a girth of 8 metres (26 ft) at 0.3 metres. The tree is at least 1,400 years old, and could be as old as 2,500 years. It’s a lovely place for a walk but not so good during winters. Most areas were inaccessible. However if you still wish to go, definitely wear wellington boots 👢 as the whole place is extremely muddy. Parking space is quite small too.

One of the oldest trees in the UK, the Ankerwycke Yew is a great place to visit. It’s surrounded by benches for sitting on and is accessible via a short walk from the nearby national trust car park (it has limited parking spaces though). The yew is hollow and is fun for kids to explore inside. It currently has a blue band around it to hold it together as it’s in danger of splitting apart. Look out for the nearby ruins of St Mary’s Abbey. It’s a popular yew with pagans and offerings can be found dangling from its branches.