The bleeding yew and other treasures

Wales: Like many of our old churchyards, Nevern Church has an avenue of ancient yew trees, some 700 years old, leading from the gate to the church door. One of these trees is famous as 'the bleeding yew', something I've never seen before. Where a limb has been sawn off, the tree 'bleeds' with a deep red sap, the colour and consistency of blood. It has been bleeding for as long as anyone can remember and no-one really knows why. Myths and legends abound, but perhaps the most obvious of them is that it is bleeding in sympathy with Jesus as he died on the cross. 

Within the church, set into the windowsills, are more ancient treasures - a beautiful Celtic braided cross dating back to the 10th century:

and another stone, known as the Maglocunus Stone, dated to the 5th century. It is inscribed in Latin (which you can just about see along the wavy edge at the back) and in Ogham, a curious early medieval script consisting of marks and slashes, which you can see along the edge below.

Nevern

Wales: Nevern, a few miles from Cardigan and over the border into Pembrokeshire, is a pretty village nestled around the river of the same name. The area has been occupied at least since neolithic times, about 4000 years ago. We followed the footpath up the hill to where, in the 1100s, a Norman castle stood, one of the earliest stone castles in Wales. It was destroyed in 1195. The site has been extensively excavated and there is little to see (or photograph) there now except for the mound (motte) where the keep stood and the flat courtyard area that was the bailey. It was fascinating though, and a lovely walk through bluebell woods to get there. 

There was plenty of interest to photograph around the church, where this old mounting block still stands, handily placed to allow you to dismount from your horse (or carriage perhaps) as you arrived at church. 

Behind the church there is an old clapper bridge over a stream.