Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve - Natural Phenomena

Natural Phenomena

Kingley Vale is home to one of Europe's most impressive yew forests. The forest contains yews as much as 2,000 years old. They comprise some of the oldest living organisms in Great Britain. Their survival is remarkable because most ancient yew trees across Europe were felled after the 14th Century, being the preferred material for the staves of English longbows. In 1472, with the increasing popularity of the longbow, the British government enacted a "yew tax" that stipulated that every ship that unloaded at an English harbor must bring a tax of four "bowestaffs" for every cask of wine. This sparked a rush for ancient yew trees across Europe, decimating the forests. Kingly Vale is one of the few major stands remaining, elsewhere most examples are solitary trees or small stands.

Besides the yew forest, one can find oak, ash, holly and hawthorn. The chalk grassland is home to a great number of flowers and herbs that form a diverse and intricate mosaic of species. Over 50 species of birds are found, although only six species breed in the yew woodland. Mammals include deer, yellow-necked mouse, water shrew and dormouse. The 39 species of butterfly at Kingley Vale are mainly found in the grassland.