Trees were planted from time to time. Young ashes were set in 1684 at a cost of 1s. 6d. The yew tree, though no longer needed for the bow, was still grown. A fresh one, planted in 1706, at a cost of 1s., perhaps took the place of the old one blown down in the gale of December 18th, 1687.[155] This, too, which would now have numbered over 200 years, appears to have gone. The existing trees were planted in 1819 through the instrumentality of the poet Wordsworth (from a sum supplied by his friend, Sir George Beaumont), and he continued to care for them.
The poet himself lies beneath their shade. Of the countless graves that stud this ancient burying-place, it is his that draws the pilgrims from afar; and the yard, encircled by its yews and the great mountains, has perhaps inspired more and better poetry than any other plot in England. Hartley Coleridge, Sir John Richardson, Green and Hull the artists, are buried here, and their graves may be found by referring to the short Guide issued by Mr. Peterson.
Wordsworth's monument, a medallion by Woolner, is within the church. The beautiful inscription is a translation of Keble's Latin dedication of his Oxford Lectures on Poetry to Wordsworth.
EXTRACTS FROM CHURCHWARDENS' ACCOUNTS AND PRESENTMENTS
Gresmyre.
The First day of Apprill in the XIIIJth of the Kings Ma'tyes Reigne A treue & A P'fect Acount of ye Disbursment of James Benson & Robert Watson Church Wardens For the yeare last past.
| li | s | d | |
| Anno Domini 1661 as Followeth | |||
| Imprimus for mending & mossing the Church | 00 | 07 | 04 |
| Ittem for mending the Font stone | 00 | 02 | 08 |
| Ittem for the Font Couer[156] | 00 | 02 | 08 |
| Ittem soldering the lead in the Font stone | 00 | 00 | 06 |
| Ittem For a Quission for the pulpitt | 00 | 02 | 02 |
| Ittem For A table cloth | 00 | 01 | 04 |
| Ittem For A Raill at the pullpit side | 00 | 00 | 10 |
| Ittem For our p't of the Dyell | 00 | 01 | 00 |
| Ittem For mending the great bell Leather | 00 | 00 | 02 |
| Ittem For our p'te of A surp cloth we bought | 00 | 01 | 08 |
| Ittem For Drissing the Church | 00 | 00 | 04 |
| Ittem For greace to ye bells For our p'te | 00 | 00 | 04 |
| Ittem For Lime for ye windowes & Fireing for glasser | 00 | 00 | 04 |
| Ittem payed to ye glasser for mending our p'te of windowes | 00 | 06 | 00 |
| Ittem For A new botle to the Church | 00 | 03 | 00 |
| Ittem payed For bread and wine | 00 | 08 | 04 |
| Ittem payed to John Jackson for lying 2 graues | 00 | 00 | 04 |
| Ittem For writting this yeare | 00 | 00 | 04 |
| Ittem for Two Journeyes to Ambleside | 00 | 00 | 08 |
| — | — | — | |
| li | s | d | |
| The sume totall | 02 | 09 | 0 |