The Ash Tree
1975 | 32m | English
Popularity: 0.2 (history)
| Director: | Lawrence Gordon Clark |
|---|---|
| Writer: | David Rudkin |
| Staring: |
| Man of leisure Sir Richard receives notification that his Uncle has died, bequeathing him his stately country manor and all its lands. On his return to England he immediately sets about taking stock of all legal matters concerning his new property, but during these dealings Sir Richard seems to be more than a little distracted, he hears strange noises from the ash tree outside his bedroom window. | |
| Release Date: | Dec 23, 1975 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Lawrence Gordon Clark |
| Writer: | David Rudkin |
| Genres: | |
| Keywords | |
| Production Companies | BBC |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Jan 19, 2026 Entered: May 01, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Edward Petherbridge | Sir Richard/Sir Matthew |
| Preston Lockwood | Dr. Croome |
| Barbara Ewing | Anne Mothersole |
| Lalla Ward | Lady Augusta |
| Lucy Griffiths | Mrs. Chiddock |
| Oliver Maguire | William Beresford |
| Clifford Kershaw | The Witchfinder |
| Cyril Appleton | Master Procathro |
| David Pugh | Herdsman |
| Glynn Sweet | Young Cleric |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Roger Waugh | Editor |
| Allan Anson | Production Design |
| John McGlashan | Camera Operator, Director of Photography |
| Lawrence Gordon Clark | Director |
| David Rudkin | Writer |
| M.R. James | Short Story |
| Ron Edmonds | ADR Mixer |
| Richard Manton | Sound Recordist |
| Terry Coles | Production Assistant |
| Sue Able | Costume Design |
| John Friedlander | Visual Effects |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Rosemary Hill | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2024 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2024 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2024 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2024 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 2024 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2024 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| 2024 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2024 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| 2025 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 2 |
| 2025 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Trending Position
"Sir Richard" (Edward Petherbridge) arrives at his recently inherited stately home and almost instantly decides that he and his bride-to-be (Lalla Ward) need to have a new pew in the parish church. Warned by the vicar (Preston Lockwood) that he cannot build on consecrated ground he sets about reloca ... ting another grave - and that's his first mistake. With flashbacks galore to a previous, somewhat tragedy-stricken, lord of the manor ("Sir Matthew") we begin to learn of the history of this house, it's church, it's occupants and - of course the mysticism of the solitary ash tree and it's associated witchery that continues to make it's presence felt. It's tough to try and squeeze all of the superstitiousness of the original MR James story into half an hour, but I thought that this BBC television adaptation did quite well in exuding a little of the sense of fear and menace that prevailed not just at the time it is set, but in the erstwhile years when Matthew Hopkins might have plied his trade. The acting is all adequate enough and the script abridged but still capable of conveying the gist of this quite decent example of maypole-style horror/terror.