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Hundreds gather for yew-tree celebration
The yew, a symbol of eternity, is a common feature of churchyards |
Clergy and parishioners from a hundred North Wales churches gathered at St Asaph's Cathedral to pick up cuttings of yew trees.
The ceremony, attended by the Archbishop of Wales and the Dean of St Asaph, was part of the Yews for the Millennium celebrations.
Environmentalist Professor David Bellamy addressed the audience before the Dean, the Very Revd T R Ceri Gouldstone, blessed the cuttings.
The cuttings were then taken back to various parishes to be planted.
The young trees will have been propagated from ancient yews estimated to be 2,000 years old.
Environmentalist Prof David Bellamy was one of the founders of the project |
Wales has some of the oldest yews in Britain.
The evergreen yew was a sacred tree to the Druids.
The yew, a symbol of eternity, has always been closely linked to churchyards and the Christian tradition.
As well as being an image of enduring ecology, yew trees contain a 'greenprint' for a range of new anticancer drugs.
Over 7,000 church parishes in Britain are taking part in the Yews for the Millennium project which was launched by the Bishop of London and Professor David Bellamy.
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