Trees in Folklore

Kingley Vale Nature Reserve is known for its twisted ancient yew trees, over 500 years old, with some possibly thousands of years old. The forest is rich with local stories about these trees.
According to folklore, the yews were planted over the graves of warriors killed in a battle between Saxon and Viking raiders in the 9th century, and the Viking leaders were interred in burial mounds on the hills, and people believe that the area is haunted by their ghosts.