6 June 2014

Please note: this news article is in our archive. Articles were correct at time of publication, but should not be relied on for accuracy after the passage of time.

EAST Court’s yew hedges have produced 400 kilos of cuttings which will be processed and used for the treatment of patients with cancer.

Limehurst, the company which arranged to have the hedges pruned and weeded, has been involved in producing medical and cosmetic treatments for the past 50 years.

They told the Town Council ‘your hedges at East Grinstead were lovely, and produced a wonderful yield’.

Limehurst are also organizing an on-going programme of rejuvenation to ensure the hedges stay healthy, and they anticipate that eventually the East Court site may yield almost four times as much.

‘Each year we produce hundreds of tonnes of yew clippings with the help of many gardens around England. The treatments tackle various strains including breast, ovarian and small cell lung cancers with many a success story.’

Yew harvesting takes place annually from June to September and Limehurst collects on a daily basis during this period as the clippings need to be as fresh as possible to prevent deterioration of the active compound.