Surrey’s ancient trees

Karen Neville

Round and About

Read more articles in our 2024 Education Guide

Local pupils have created a new children’s book

Schoolchildren have created 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 from the Weyfield Primary Academy Guildford 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.”

Katie praised the children’s different personalities which “shine through” in the “joyful array of illustrations”.

One of pupils involved, 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.

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