John Rutterford cuts the Yew tree hedge at the Bathurst Estate in Cirencester, England. August 5th 2014. Cutting the hedge for most people is a chore that takes a few hours at the weekend - but not if you own the county's biggest yew tree. See swns stroy SWHEDGE. The monster on the Bathurst Estate in the Cotswolds is getting its annual trim after growing over 40ft. The job takes two men ten - and a host of estate staff - ten full days on top of a cherry picker to cut back the 300 year-old giant. They lop off the top eight inches of new growth, removing a tonne of clippings which are used to produce a life-saving cancer drug. They are sold to pharmaceutical companies who use yew extract as a key ingredient of Docetaxel, a chemotherapy drug used for breast, ovarian and lung cancer. The semi-circular hedge is 33ft wide and stretches for 150 yards along the side of the mansion on the aristocratic estate outside Cirencester in Gloucestershire. It is owned by Lord Bathurst who spends £5,000 each year keeping his pride and joy under control.
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