Twelve ancient yews whose story is intimately entwined with the history of Wales, waiting to be visited...
Cymraeg
One of the world’s leading authorities on the ethnobotany of the yew tree has welcomed the new Great Yews of Wales Tree Trail, produced by the Woodland Trust (Coed Cadw) as part of the Ancient Tree Hunt project.
“About 90% of the oldest trees in all of Europe are yew trees in the UK. And today, more than a quarter of these are located in Wales alone. In the Middle Ages, this species provided staves for longbows which helped to form and defend the country, first Wales, than the whole of Britain. While countless yews were destroyed for longbows these ancients survived… protected by the churchyards. In our current dark time of global deforestation and the extinction of many species – Treasure Island can be found by following the Great Yew Trail!”
So says Fred Hageneder (1), who was born in Hamburg but now lives near Llandeilo in south Wales. “This Great Yews of Wales Tour is absolutely splendid! The author has succeeded in making an excellent choice of venerable trees and presenting them in a sympathetic leaflet with a short, spot-on and informative text.”
The trail has been written and compiled by Edward Parker (2), himself an accomplished photographer and author. He says: “The trail can be started at any point and doesn’t necessarily need to be followed in order. Those who follow it will witness many magnificent ancient trees and some of Wales’ most spectacular scenery along the way. You could say it offers a journey through time – you can stand next to trees which were possibly full grown in the Bronze age and others that definitely pre-date Christianity. Enjoy!”
The new Tree Trail includes beautiful images, details of the trees and instructions as to how to find them. It is available to download for free here and is to be distributed in paper format by the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff and the National Botanic Garden at Llanarthne.
The twelve trees featured can be found in every corner of Wales, north, south, east and west:
• The Llangernyw yew, at Llangernyw near Llanrwst is widely considered to be the oldest living tree in Wales and thought by some to be up to 4,000 years old. We can be certain that it is far older than the church next to which it stands.
• Dafydd Ap Gwilym’s yew at Strata Florida Abbey in Ceredigion is believed to mark the spot where one of the greatest of medieval poets of Wales is buried.
• The Bleeding yew of Nevern is remarkable for the spectacle of the bloodlike fluid that oozes from a wound in the tree. Science has yet to explain this phenomenon. There are a variety of legends associated with this bleeding which attracts Christian and pagan pilgrims alike.
• The Bettws Newydd yew near Raglan is estimated to be at least 2,000 years old and has a wonderfully weathered outer trunk. Artistic representations from the 1890s show that the tree has changed very little over the last 120 years.
Launched in 2007, the Ancient Tree Hunt is a project established to map and record the location of old trees, as the first step in the protection and care of a vital and irreplaceable part of our national heritage and history. The target is to discover and record at least 100,000 ancient and notable trees across the UK.
Anyone can join in, by recording trees themselves, or looking at trees already recorded, by visiting the project’s website at www.ancienttreehunt.org.uk
The Ancient Tree Hunt was established by the Woodland Trust (Coed Cadw) in partnership with the Ancient Tree Forum and the Tree Register of the British Isles. It is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, the Countryside Council for Wales, the Welsh Council for Voluntary Action, Scottish Natural Heritage and supported by the Forestry Commission; and will be working with local partners across the UK. Joining the Hunt are the Tree Council, The Caravan Club, The National Trust, English Heritage, Forestry Commission and HM Prison Service, over 100 regional and local groups, and many landowners.
Notes for editors
1. Fred Hageneder is a recognised authority on ethnobotany. His books include: The Spirit of Trees: Science, Symbiosis and Inspiration (2000) and The Living Wisdom of Trees: Natural History, Folklore, Symbolism, Healing (2005) and Yew – A History (2007). Fred is a founding member and the chairman of Friends of the Trees, a registered charity concerned with nature conservation, and a founder member of the AYG (Ancient Yew Group).
2. Edward Parker is a renowned and prize winning photographer and writer who specialises in environmental issues, travel and education. He has been involved in many book projects and his written or co-written 30 books, which have been published in a variety of languages including Chinese and Dutch. His publications include ANCIENT TREES – TREES THAT LIVE FOR A THOUSAND YEARS, which he photographed and co-wrote.
English
Arbenigwr ar goed yw yn croesawu Llwybr Coed Yw Mawreddog Cymru
Deuddeg ywen hynafol, y mae eu hanes nhw ynghlwm wrth hanes Cymru, yn aros i chi ymweld â nhw...
Mae un o awdurdodau mwya’r byd ar ethnofotaneg yr ywen wedi croesawu Llwybr Coed Yw Mawreddog Cymru, sydd newydd ei gyhoeddi gan Goed Cadw (the Woodland Trust) fel rhan o brosiect yr Helfa Coed Hynafol.
“Mae tua 90 y cant o goed hynaf trwy gydol Ewrop yn goed yw o’r DU. A heddiw mae mwy na chwarter y coed hyn wedi eu lleoli yng Nghymru yn unig. Yn yr oesoedd canol darparodd y goeden hon wiail ar gyfer y bwa hir a helpodd i greu ac amddiffyn y wlad: Cymru yn gyntaf ac wedyn Prydain gyfan. Er i goed yw di-rif gael eu dinistrio i wneud bwâu hirion, fe oroesodd y coed hynafol hyn... wedi eu diogelu gan fynwentydd. Yn y cyfnod tywyll hwn, tra bod fforestydd a rhywogaethau’n cael eu colli ledled y byd, gellir cael hyd i drysorau trwy ddilyn Llwybr y Coed Yw Mawreddog!”
Ys dywed Fred Hageneder (1), a anwyd yn Hamburg ond sy’n byw ger Llandeilo bellach. “Mae Llwybr Coed Yw Mawreddog yn rhagorol! Mae’r awdur wedi llwyddo i wneud detholiad gwych o goed hybarch, a’u gyflwyno mewn taflen hygyrch gyda thestun syml ond llawn gwybodaeth.”
Crëwyd ac ysgrifennwyd y daflen gan Edward Parker (2), sydd yn ffotograffydd ac yn awdur adnabyddus. Mae yntau’n dweud: “Gellir cychwyn ar y llwybr yn unrhyw fan ac nid oes rhaid ei ddilyn yn y drefn yma. Bydd y rheini sy’n dilyn y llwybr yn gweld llawer o goed hynafol godidog a rhai o olygfeydd mwyaf ysblennydd Cymru ar hyd y ffordd. Gallech ddweud ei fod yn cynnig taith drwy amser – gellwch sefyll wrth ochr coed a oedd o bosibl yn eu llawn dwf yn yr Oes Efydd ac eraill sy’n bendant yn gynharach na Christnogaeth – yn ogystal â phrofiad diwylliannol cyfoethog. Mwynhewch!”
Mae’r Llwybr Coed newydd yn cynnwys lluniau prydferth, manylion am y coed a chyfarwyddiadau am sut i gael hyd iddyn nhw. Gellir dadlwytho’r cyfan am ddim yma ac fe gaiff ei ddosbarthu hefyd ar bapur gan Amgueddfa Genedlaethol yng Nghaerdydd a’r Ardd Fotaneg Genedlaethol yn Llanarthne.
Mae’r coed sy’n cael eu cynnwys i’w gweld ym mhob cwr o Gymru, gogledd, de, dwyrain a gorllewin:
• Credir gan lawer mai Ywen Llangernyw, yn Llangernyw ger Llanrwst, ydy’r ywen hynaf yng Nghymru. Tybir gan rai ei bod hyd at 4,000 o flynyddoedd oed. Fe allwn ni fod yn sicr ei bod hi’n hyn na’r eglwys y mae’n sefyll wrth ei hochr. Mae’r goeden i’w chael ar dir Eglwys Sant Digain ym mhentref swynol Llangernyw.
• Credir fod Ywen Dafydd Ap Gwilym yn Ystrad Fflur yn marcio bedd y bardd hwn, y mwyaf o bosibl o feirdd yr oesoedd canol.
• Mae ywen Waedlyd Nyfer, er yn ddinod o ran ei hoed, yn nodedig am yr olygfa o hylif tebyg i waed sy’n diferu o archoll ar y goeden. Mae amryw o chwedlau’n gysylltiedig â’r gwaedu, sy’n denu pererinion Cristnogol a Phaganaidd fel ei gilydd.
• Credir fod Ywen Betws Newydd ger Rhaglan o leiaf 2,000 o flynyddoedd oed. Mae ganddo foncyff allanol sydd wedi’i dreulio’n rhyfeddol. Dengys darluniadau artistig o’r 1890au mai ychydig iawn y mae’r goeden wedi newid dros y 120 mlynedd ddiwethaf.
Lansiwyd prosiect yr Helfa Coed Hynafol yn 2007. Y bwriad yw cofnodi lleoliad hen goed fel y cam cyntaf tuag at eu diogelu fel rhan annatod o’n hetifeddiaeth a’n hanes ni. Y targed yw darganfod a chofnodi o leiaf 100,000 o goed hynafol a nodweddiadol ar draws y DU. Fe all pawb ymuno, trwy gofnodi coed eu hunain neu drwy edrych ar goed a gofnodwyd eisoes, trwy ymweld â gwefan y prosiect sef:
www.ancienttreehunt.org.uk
Sefydlwyd yr Helfa Coed Hynafol gan Goed Cadw mewn partneriaeth gyda’r Fforwm Coed Hynafol a Chofrestr Coed Ynysoedd Prydain. Mae’n cael ei ariannu gan yr Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Cyngor Cefn Gwlad Cymru, Cyngor Gweithredu Gwirfoddol Cymru, Treftadaeth Naturiol yr Alban, ac mae’n cael ei gefnogi gan y Comisiwn Coedwigaeth. Fe fydd llawer o bartneriaid lleol yn cydweithio gyda’r prosiect ar hyd a lled y DU. Yn ymuno â’r Helfa y mae Cyngor y Coed, y Caravan Club, Yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol, y Comisiwn Coedwigaeth, a’r Gwasanaeth Carchardai, dros 100 o grwpiau lleol ynghyd a llawer o dirfeddianwyr.
Nodiadau i olygyddion
1. Mae Fred Hageneder yn cael ei gydnabod fel awdurdod ar ethnofotaneg. Mae ei lyfrau o’n cynnwys: The Spirit of Trees: Science, Symbiosis and Inspiration (2000) a The Living Wisdom of Trees: Natural History, Folklore, Symbolism, Healing (2005) and Yew – A History (2007). Mae Fred yn un o sylfaenwyr, ac yn Gadeirydd Cyfeillion y Coed, sef elusen gofrestredig sy’n ymwneud â chadwraeth natur, ac yn un o sylfaenwyr yr Ancient Yew Group.
2. Mae Edward Parker yn ffotograffydd ac awdur enwog sydd wedi ennill gwobrau am ei waith. Mae’n canolbwyntio ar faterion amgylchedd, teithio ac addysg. Mae o wedi ysgrifennu neu gyd-ysgrifennu 30 o lyfrau, a gyhoeddwyd mewn amrywiaeth o ieithoedd gan gynnwys Tsieinëeg ac Iseldireg. Ymhlith ei gyhoeddiadau y mae ANCIENT TREES – TREES THAT LIVE FOR A THOUSAND YEARS. Fe gyd-ysgrifennodd y llyfr yma, a thynnu’r lluniau.