Love Your Yew Week 9th to 15th February 2026
The environmental charity Caring for God’s Acre, is teaming up with the Ancient Yew Group for Love Your Yew Week — encouraging churches and volunteers to help care for these remarkable trees and celebrate their place at the heart of our heritage.
Ancient and veteran yew trees are among the most recognisable features of British churchyards, and their importance cannot be overstated. Many have been growing for thousands of years, quietly witnessing centuries of community history, worship, and change.
The Yew tree picture in this article is the Wilmington Yew, thought to be 1,600 years old, sits in the grounds of St Mary and St Peter’s Church in the village near Eastbourne.
Now there’s a chance to give something back. From 9–15 February 2026, environmental charity Caring for God’s Acre, which focuses on biodiversity in burial grounds, is teaming up with the Ancient Yew Group for Love Your Yew Week — encouraging churches and volunteers to help care for these remarkable trees and celebrate their place at the heart of our heritage.
How can you get involved?
In Love Your Yew Week a specific management task is suggested for those churchyards lucky enough to contain an ancient or veteran yew, with the aim of breaking down the job of caring for them into achievable tasks. February is a good time of year to carry out any work on yew trees, before birds are nesting and hopefully a time of year that is not too busy with other tasks. Those who take part are sent a certificate which celebrates these remarkable trees, and which can be displayed to let the public know there is a special tree present.
In 2026 custodians of ancient and veteran yews are being asked to look down at the ground beneath their yew tree and to clear beneath the canopy, removing all objects, including at least a metre beyond the canopy, as the roots can extend further than the branches.
Harriet Carty, Director of Caring for God’s Acre says “It’s great to have the opportunity to celebrate not only these wonderful trees but also the fabulous volunteers who care for the year after year.”
Chris Knapman from the Ancient Yew Group says: ‘The British Isles are of international importance for ancient yew trees. The careful management of their surroundings, to prevent physical harm and to preserve their aesthetic value is valuable stewardship.’
Caring for God’s Acrewww.caringforgodsacre.org.uk Email info@cfga.org.uk Tel 01588 673041
Ancient Yew Groupwww.ancient-yew.org Email info@treeregister.org Tel 01462 711640