ANCIENT heritages were celebrated in Salisbury today with the blessing of 42 yew trees to mark the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta.

The blessing was carried out by the Bishop of Salisbury, the Right Reverend Nicholas Holtam, who is also the Church of England's lead bishop for environment, at Salisbury Cathedral.

The trees will be distributed to the 42 dioceses of the church.

The blessing also marked the launch of the We Love Yew campaign, which celebrates the ancient yew trees.

It is being spearheaded by The Conservation Society with the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund and is in association with the Church of England and the UK's Magna Carta 800th Anniversary Committee.

We Love Yew will encourage communities to discover their local heritage and celebrate the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta.

David Shreeve, the director of The Conservation Foundation, said: "Our ancient yews are a very special part of our environment and our cultural heritage. Over the centuries many important events, including the sealing of Magna Carta took place under a yew tree, which being evergreen, was reliably dry.

"They have their won myths and traditions. The yew is also a tree of contrastWhilst it is well-known to have toxic qualities, it has provided treatment for cancer sufferers."

Communities are invited to apply for a free sapling, propagated by the foundation from yews which are believed to have been alive at the the time of Magna Carta. A limited number are also available for sale to individuals and organisations.

Small grants towards maintenance and signage or available to custodians of ancient and veteran yews and for community events to celebrate their yew's history.

Mr Shreeve added: "We hope this project will encourage people to learn about their local yew and its place in the history of where they live and ensure they continue to grow for hundreds - possibly thousands more years."

Stuart Hobbley, the head of Heritage Lottery Fund London, said: "Of all our well-loved trees, the yew has been a feature in the English landscape where it has stood as a silent witness to so much history, including the sealing of Magna Carta. This project helps maintain that direct link with one of the most important events in our past and will help in the future conservation of this species."

Salisbury Cathedral's yew tree will be planted in the cloisters later in the year.

The Bishop of Salisbury, Right Reverend Holtam said the blessing and planting of the trees was about "looking back and looking forward".

For more information about the campaign go to weloveyew.org