Nestled within cattle trodden farmland and National Trust fields of Wraysbury is a yew tree. At first glance it is a tree like any other; roots, branches and leaves. However this yew is much more, its gnarly trunk and intertwined limbs hold both great history and great mystery. 

The iconic 2,500 year old yew tree is steeped in history. It is believed that it is beneath these very branches that Henry VIII courted Anne Boleyn, and some reports suggest that the King even proposed in the tree's shadow. Whilst the Magna Carta is said to have been signed across the river at Runnymede, there is many who argue that the event actually took place on the opposite side of the bank, perhaps under this very yew?

There is indeed, some justification for the theory that the Ankerwycke Yew could be the last surviving witness to the sealing of the Magna Carta 800 years ago. The yew is located on a slightly raised area of land on the flood plain of the Thames, which in 1215 AD would likely have been a marshland. The Yew would have provided a dry island near to St Marys Priory, the 12th century  Benedictine nunnery. 

Just imagine if the branches could whisper the secrets that they had seen over the last 2500 years?

The yew may be a historical landmark, but it is the magic and mystery that it brings to the community that makes the tree so special. One resident describes the yew as ‘a mystery in itself, standing tall and broad with branches like arms sweeping down to bring you into its pounding heart and soul’. With another revealing they have never felt ‘so compelled to hug a tree’.

The tree is a place of calm, for mindfulness, reflection and remembrance, providing a place for spiritual wellbeing.

One frequent visitor said ‘The Ankerwyke is truly magical and I have known him for many, many years. I love to visit him in all seasons and weathers, both early in the morning and at dusk. He is a tree of great mystery, I go to him to absorb the magical and peaceful atmosphere’

The community of Wraysbury feel fiercely protective of the tree, it is an important part of our village and is so much more than just a tree.