Yew – English
- UK
- Softwood
- Durable
English Yew (Taxus baccata) is a distinctive and highly decorative softwood known for its rich colour variation, ranging from bright orange-red heartwood to pale yellow sapwood, often with striking contrast between the two. Despite being a conifer, it is unusually hard, dense and fine-grained compared to most softwoods, offering good strength and excellent flexibility. It machines and carves well, though its interlocked grain can occasionally present challenges. The timber is also naturally durable, particularly the heartwood, and finishes to a smooth, lustrous surface.
In the timber industry, English Yew is valued mainly for specialist and decorative applications rather than large-scale structural use due to its limited availability. It has historically been prized for bow making, but today it is used for high-end furniture, turned objects, veneers, cabinetry and bespoke joinery. Its dramatic colour contrast and attractive figuring make it particularly sought after for statement pieces and artisan woodworking, where visual character is more important than volume or uniformity.
Yew – English
Yew – English – Heartwood and Sapwood
Suitable for:
Decorative and inlay
Doors, stairs and windows
Furniture, cabinet making, bars and worktops
Sculpture, carving, model making and toys
Turnery and wood ware
