350 year old yew tree dead - will anyone buy the lumber?

[treehuggerfromusa]

I own a property in Lagrauliere, France, where I spend my summers.   I wasn't able to return to France since COVID (2019).   Upon returning from the USA, in May 2022, I find my ancient yew tree has died.   It seems a shame to use such a wonderful old tree for firewood.   Does anyone know who might fell, harvest and purchase the lumber?   The chateau was built in 1350 -- I am not sure how old the yew actually is, but neighbors say at least 300 years old.  It is a multi-trunk tree.   I have heard that yew wood is used to make bows and arrows.   I would appreciate any help you could give me.  Janie Busch [email protected].

[Squaredy]

21 minutes ago, treehuggerfromusa said:

I own a property in Lagrauliere, France, where I spend my summers.   I wasn't able to return to France since COVID (2019).   Upon returning from the USA, in May 2022, I find my ancient yew tree has died.   It seems a shame to use such a wonderful old tree for firewood.   Does anyone know who might fell, harvest and purchase the lumber?   The chateau was built in 1350 -- I am not sure how old the yew actually is, but neighbors say at least 300 years old.  It is a multi-trunk tree.   I have heard that yew wood is used to make bows and arrows.   I would appreciate any help you could give me.  Janie Busch bellefondchateau@gmail.com.

It is a little difficult to judge size from the photos, but that does not look like a very old tree to me.  Either way the timber (in the UK) is worth very little in the round, and this is not a good forest grown straight tree so if you can get £50 per ton you will be doing well.

 

I sometimes buy Yew logs for milling, and if you were to fell and deliver this one to me I would probably pay around £100, maybe £150 if it is more than I am estimating from the photos.

 

Turners would make plenty of use out of the pieces, but it needs to be dried for years before it can really be sold to them.

 

Realistically unless you have a use for the timber it is probably going to end up as firewood.

[Mark Bolam]

Realistically you’re going to have to pay someone to fell it.

[doobin]

As above, it's gonna cost you.

 

Probably with added expat tax, knowing the French.

[Mr. Squirrel]

Also, just to be pedantic even if it is/was 350 years old, it wouldn’t be regarded as ancient for the species. The oldest in the UK is between 3,000-5,000 years old, this one was practically a sapling. 

[Silverhooker]

Always seems a shame to burn yew as wood workers like it for turning etc, but from the phots it looks like your best bet.