Yew cannot be serious! Cockerel hedge that was village landmark for 110 years is chopped down and replaced with gargoyle

For more than a century, the topiary wonder affectionately known as the Cockadoodle kept a watchful eye over the idyllic North Yorkshire village of Bishop Monkton.

It belongs to the 18th century II. Also known as the Burngarth Cockerel after its grade-listed cottage, the sculpted yew tree, which once stood 30ft tall, was so famous that it was visited by tourists and schoolchildren and featured on postcards promoting the area.

Photographs taken over the decades (the first recorded image is from 1910) show different states of the rooster’s leafy plumage, but it is always present in the garden of Bishop Monkton’s most iconic estate, thought to have been built around 1720.

But now, in a move that has divided this historic village mentioned in the Domesday book, the Cockadoodle is no more.

Today, in place of the beautiful garden feature that has long brought smiles to locals and tourists alike, there is a sour-faced stone gargoyle glaring at passersby.

But what might seem like a metaphorical two-finger salute to those outraged by the decision to drop the Cockadoodle is a nod to the area, as the picturesque creek that runs right in front of the lodge is similarly lined with gargoyles and other stone statues.

But it wasn’t enough to quell some of the anger that spread.

Maggie Wynne, 84, who lives around the corner, said: ‘Everyone was very angry when it was cut down as it was such a well-known sight in the village.

‘It stood there for over 100 years and was featured on postcards and anything depicting the village, but it was cut down because they got fed up with it.’

The topiary landscape no longer exists after it was cut down by the cottage’s current owners in 2024 because it blocked light and threatened the foundations

In its place is now a terrifying-looking stone gargoyle, placed to mirror similar statues placed along the bench that runs across the front of the property.

But it does not carry any long-standing ill will.

‘The couple who bought the cottage are very nice people and have really made an effort to be part of village life, so over time people tend to forget their discomfort and the resentment about it goes away,’ he added.

Villager Ken Barker, in his 80s, said: ‘Of course it is sad to see something that has stood in the village for over 120 years disappear; This was a very important part of Bishop Monkton, especially for those of us who, like me, have lived here for over 50 years.

‘But this needs to be balanced against the problems it causes homeowners, such as roots encroaching on property and obstruction of light. ‘I can totally understand why they did this.’

His wife, Jennifer, was less forgiving. He said: ‘It should not have been cut down, it was the cornerstone of the village, the focal point and a real landmark.’

The Cockadoodle was cut down in 2024 after Linda Cooper, who bought the chocolate box cottage for £465,000 in 2021, discovered with her partner Dave Molyneux that roots were undermining the foundations of the cottage and huge bushes were blocking the light.

They did not need planning permission from the district council as the Cockadoodle was considered a hedge rather than a tree, but they contacted them anyway.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Ms Cooper said: ‘The rooster was so close to the window that it was actually touching the house and making it very dark so we had to do something.

‘We were careful to go through the appropriate channels and asked the British Topiary Society for advice on how to remove it properly and they were happy to help.’

Asked if there had been any reaction, he said: ‘We haven’t had a negative response… many people have told us it has improved the look of the place.

‘It’s a lovely country house and unfortunately the rooster had overgrown and we thought it best to remove it.’

The rooster has been a fixture in the village for over 100 years. Here is a picture taken in 1916

It is often decorated for special occasions, such as King George V’s Silver Jubilee in 1935.

When this photo was taken in 1990, the Cockadoodle was displaying an impressive plumage.

Ken Barker and his wife Jennifer said they were sorry the rooster was no longer watching over the village, but they understood the logic behind the new owner’s decision.

Dean Culshaw, president of Bishop Monkton Parish Council, confirmed the church did not need any official approval before it was cut.

‘The owner was quite free to do what he did, I understand it was blocking out a lot of light and the church council had no stance on that,’ he said.

‘I think it’s fair to say people were upset about it… some people thought it was a shame.

‘It’s been there for a long time and on the way to the village hall there’s a map showing the village and the cocker spaniel was there because it was a landmark, but it’s not there anymore and had to be removed.’

For several years the Cockadoodle was lovingly cared for by the cottage’s previous owner, Richard Harper, who purchased the property with his wife Tina in 2007.

The retired auctioneer told the Mail in 2016 how he spent 11 hours over several days each August tending to the hedges and trying to keep them in shape.

Before the Harpers, it was cared for by the family of former next-door neighbor Rodney Wilson for nearly a century.

Mr Wilson believed the statue was first cut into the shape of a rooster in the 1890s and described how it was decorated for major events such as the Silver Jubilee of King George V in 1935.

Speaking ten years ago, he said: ‘I hope it will be like this for many years to come.’

When asked last week about the decision to slaughter the Cockadoodle, the kennel’s former owner, Ms. Harper, remained diplomatic.

‘We have opinions, but we would prefer not to share them,’ he said. ‘We moved on.’