The winner of UK Tree of the Year 2022 is a yew perching on the ruins of Waverley Abbey, in Surrey, founded 900 years ago by the reforming Cistercian religious order. 
After the abbey was dismantled in 1536 following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the yew tree sprung up and has been a faithful guardian of the ruins for nearly 500 years. It is a spectacular tree with roots that sprawl out above ground before plunging into the earth. Its multi-stemmed form is dotted with holes, crevices and areas of decay that provide valuable habitat for wildlife.