Rooted in history
LONDON has an abundance of iconic locations from the past and historical buildings that enrich the culture of the nation’s capital, drawing tourists from all over the world.
Just take the Tower of London for instance, founded around the end of 1066 it is an astonishing piece of history that has stood for almost 1000 years.
Or perhaps the Palace of Westminster, buildings used by royalty and politicians have stood here since 1016, a reminder of how generation after generation have lived and worked in London.
Or Pudding Lane where in 1666 the Great Fire of London began.
With such symbolic buildings and places in London taking all the attention it is easy to look over some of London’s unknown historical gems.
In an unassuming churchyard in a corner of the borough of Brent lies one of London’s best kept secrets.
In the grounds of St Andrew’s Church in Totteridge sits what is believed to be the oldest tree in London.
The ancient tree is a Yew tree and is thought to be between 1,000 and 2,000 years old.
If the tree was indeed at the upper estimate of 2,000 years old then it would have sprouted from the ground around same time that Jesus Christ was born.
The tree is an astonishing historical document of life in London even before the capital even existed.
To put the St Andrew’s tree in perspective, the oldest tree in the world is a 4,850-year-old Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) tree growing high in the White Mountains of Inyo County in eastern California.
And according to the Woodland Trust the oldest tree in the UK can be found in Perthshire.
Like the tree in Totteridge it is also a Yew tree and also located in the grounds of a church.
On the Woodland Trust website it says: “Once trees reach a certain age they are considered ancient.
“This means they have passed maturity and entered the third and final stage of their lifespan.
“The age a tree needs to reach to be considered ancient varies from species to species.
“For example, a yew is not considered ancient until around 800 to 900 years old, while a shorter-lived species, like beech, is ancient from 225 years onwards.”
The St Andrew’s Yew tree was last measured in 2000 and its girth was recorded as 25 foot and 10 inches and in 1999 the Yew was accepted onto the register of the Great Trees of London.
An old story recounts how in 1722 a foundling was discovered beneath “the great Yew” and brought up by the parish and at about nine or 10 years old dug up and moved to a new home - however mystery surrounds where it now lies.
St Andrew’s Church is incredibly proud of their Yew tree and allow the public to freely visit when they wish.
So make your way to Totteridge and see one of London’s oldest living life forms.
■ St Andrew’s Church, Totteridge Village, London N20 8PR