Williamson's Weekly nature notes
Nobody knows how old are the biggest yew trees. Because when they reach about 400 they rubbish their records.
The central heartwood containing annual rings often begins to crumble after four centuries.
The history file falls to pieces. The tree doesn't want, just so much as dead wood. So the yew becomes hollow, all the living tissue forming a sort of funnel and the centre becomes a hostel for owls and squirrels.
For full feature see West Sussex Gazette March 21.