File:Cobblers Pits - A Yew Woodland in Disused Quarries - geograph.org.uk - 1310392.jpg

English: Cobblers Pits – A Yew Woodland in Disused Quarries From the Information Board

“Pure stands of yew are unusual but serve well as a screen for a redundant quarry. Commonly planted around country houses in the 18th and 19th centuries, are they the work of Lord Lake, owner of the pre-Rothschild Aston Clinton Manor. Whatever their origin, the tree are now being managed by Buckinghamshire County Council to replace the recent storm damage [probably referring to 1987] and ensure their long-term well being.” “Light and Dark .... Walking along the sunken lane the gloom of the closed canopy, familiar to travellers of old, is suddenly broken by a flood of light where the ageing trees on the pits' thin soils have been torn down by recent storms. The light brings with it opportunity and abundance as the sparse undergrowth of shade tolerant ivy under the yews is swamped by a multitude of light loving grasses, herbs and shrubs, taking advantage of the newly created open space. As the current tree planting grows up, and shade returns, the ivy will re-establish itself whilst the invaders await the next storm.”

This view shows the stand of yews at the north end of a long narrow strip of woodland, with evidence of quarrying. There is another significant stand at the south end and an area with young yew trees whose size fits in with replanting after 1987. However my first impression is that there were parts of the wood which were never mainly yew.