New book celebrates Surrey’s ancient trees

Children invited to enter competition to design inside covers for The Thousand Year Tree

Children from the Weyfield Primary Academy Guildford are creating a beautiful new children’s book to encourage conservation of the thousand year old yew trees at Newlands Corner, Surrey.

Working with author Lucy Reynolds and illustrator Katie Hickey, the children are bringing to life 10 centuries of history, reflecting the elements of permanence and change that have bridged this time, and inspiring children everywhere to protect trees and woodlands for generations to come.

As England’s most wooded county, Surrey is home to some of our nation’s oldest trees, including the 4,000 year old Crowhurst Yew.

“These incredible trees have seen so much,” said Lucy, “from the Magna Carta and Norman Conquest, through rebellions, plagues and wars to the modern day today. But the trees are also fragile and have been struggling, so it’s been wonderful to see the children connecting with this vulnerability and expressing their care so beautifully through poetry and verse”.

“The artwork created by the children has been just as inspiring”, added Katie, “combining their vibrant variety of different styles and interests to create a colourful, joyful array of illustrations for the book, in which all of their different personalities shine through”.

One of the participating pupils Lola said: “I’m so proud of all the work and concentration everyone put into the book, this project’s helped me realise that nature has its own important part in all our lives.”

The Thousand Year Tree will be published in October by The Old Dungate Press – and an exciting competition gives children across Surrey the chance to have their own artwork included in the book!

Kids aged 4 to 11 are invited to design the inside covers of the book, based around the theme of trees and nature. Entry forms can be collected from any of Surrey’s libraries, with more information available at https://www.surreyhillssociety.org/the-thousand-year-tree-book-endpapers-design-competition/. Children have until 4th September to submit their creations.

The Thousand Year Tree project is a creative collaboration between the Surrey Hills Society; Surrey Hills National Landscape; Surrey County Council; author Lucy Reynolds; illustrator Katie Hickey; the Guildford Book Festival; The Old Dungate Press; Surrey Libraries and the Weyfield Primary Academy. The project is made possible through the Surrey Hills Access For All fund, which enables everyone to love and protect Surrey’s National Landscape.

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