alan morrison
Fellow
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A beautiful pen Alan. It just shows how nice our home grown timbers are.
Love the grain effects in that blank Alan. I agree we do have some gorgeous woods as well in the UK. Just as so many have fallen out with them over the years.
Spent the morning collecting some wood from a local church yard today. Just need to get it dried and see what it offers.
Spent the morning collecting some wood from a local church yard today. Just need to get it dried and see what it offers.
alan morrison
Fellow
Church yards are usually a good source for Yew, which makes for a lovely honey coloured pen that I like very much.
Yep, Yew would be right with that one Alan.
Also have some Beech as well. Cleared some hawthorn from their hedging so that may come out nice as it’s been in the hedge bottom for about 8 years. Might recover some from the rotting process.
Interesting tho as well, printed off the planning permission info and Arborists report as the trees are under a TPO. Along with photos of me collecting the wood. So at least I can prove it’s provenance
wm460
Grand Master
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Great looking pen Alan, those bands really set it off.
Thought it was illegal to get yew from church yards.
Thought it was illegal to get yew from church yards.
alan morrison
Fellow
I don't know how much truth is in this, but I read that as Churches and Church yards were sacrosanct then Yew was planted there, in the old days, to protect them as Yew was the source of their weapons, ie longbows and arrows. It sounds feasible anyway.
Thought it was illegal to get yew from church yards.
Not sure about Oz but the UK all the churches trees are under a TPO (Tree Protection Order) so have to have permission to even trim the canopy.
The ones I picked up were from when the Aroborist had cut off the limbs that were on the planning permission. Not sure if you have seen a UK planning permission (See link) they have to go through the planning process every time they need anything doing.
I can see why as if you got a rouge group then they could be taken down easily.
St Peters Church
wm460
Grand Master
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Years ago I bought a book about the history of the pommy longbow from your country, in the pre internet days it cost me 40 GBP 
excellent book though.
The spanish yew was the best yew for bow staves.
Statute of Westminster in 1472, every ship coming to an English port had to bring four bowstaves for every tun. Richard III of England increased this to ten for every tun.
excellent book though.The spanish yew was the best yew for bow staves.
Statute of Westminster in 1472, every ship coming to an English port had to bring four bowstaves for every tun. Richard III of England increased this to ten for every tun.
Geoff Kent
Graduate Member
Many old churches are on the sites of pagan worship sites.Yew was a sacred tree to the pagans hence Yew being in churchyards.
Yew longbows were nearly all made from staves imported from France,Spain and Italy.The climate in these countries produces a superior timber to UK Yew.
Neil
Fellow
Years ago I bought a book about the history of the pommy longbow from your country, in the pre internet days it cost me 40 GBP
The spanish yew was the best yew for bow staves.
Statute of Westminster in 1472, every ship coming to an English port had to bring four bowstaves for every tun. Richard III of England increased this to ten for every tun.
Yes and the great thing about this was that our ancestors had little taste, they too enjoyed the rancid grape juice the French think is the best thing since sliced baguettes (can you tell I don’t drink?) However we had the last laugh, the import of this vinegar required the payment of taxes in the form of yew staves, which the wine seller was supposed to give the buyer to pass as the import tax. And then we made longbows out of them and killed them with the bows! They always were a bit daft and relied on their mechanically inferior cross bow!
howsitwork?
Graduate Member
I have read that YEW was planted as it keeps animals away due to the poisonous berries .
So they surrounded the church yards etc with it so locals weren’t tempted to graze their beasts on the free ground.
So they surrounded the church yards etc with it so locals weren’t tempted to graze their beasts on the free ground.
Geoff Kent
Graduate Member
If anyone is interested in the history of the English longbow there are two books I recommend you buy,steal or borrow.
Longbow by that great actor Robert Hardy.
The Great Warbow by Robert Hardy and Matthew Strickland.
Both are an excellent read.As well as a fine actor Robert Hardy was an acknowledged expert and maker of the English longbow.
Longbow by that great actor Robert Hardy.
The Great Warbow by Robert Hardy and Matthew Strickland.
Both are an excellent read.As well as a fine actor Robert Hardy was an acknowledged expert and maker of the English longbow.
Penpal
Grand Master
Congratulations I happen to have a great love for the burl form of this tree,your pen is aripper mate.
geordie0928
Graduate Member
A beautiful pen Alan.
howsitwork?
Graduate Member
I have heard it was to protect the church yards from wondering beasts. with yew berries etc being so toxic, the locals would be very careful not to let their animals roam into the church ( where they would cause damage) for fear of their being poisoned.