A stunning 100+ year old Horse Chestnut tree situated at Woodend has received a reprieve thanks to Derek Stevens (Maghull Town Council’s Amenities Manager). The iconic tree is one of many trees throughout our parks that are risk assessed often once a year and has consistently been assessed as healthy. However, it was noted by one of the experienced maintenance team that it may need an assessment from above the tree. Consequently, an independent tree surgeon climbed into the tree canopy and discovered that some of the branches were hollow and could not sustain its weight and recommended its complete removal. However, a safe option was explored to remove the upper canopy and thin the risk areas instead, which was undertaken last week (11.7.23).
The tree surgeons were really brilliant, not only explaining everything but carrying out the work without causing any damage to borders and paths beneath and leaving the tree with hardly any noticeable loss to its appearance. They also left some woodchip to be used as a useful mulch and weed suppressant for the borders.
The tree at Woodend, at the southern entrance to Maghull, represents the remnants of what was an ancient woodland that stretched 2×5 miles and recorded in the Domesday book of 1086, owned by a Saxon known as Uctred. Sadly, Maghull has lost 350 mature trees through disease over the last three years, in the midst of a climate crisis and national tree diseases such as Dutch Elm Disease and Ash dieback , of which the latter is killing 90% of the UK’s second most populous tree. FOMD has planted 15,000 trees in Maghull most of which will take a generation to mature, so it is really praiseworthy that such consideration has been given to this tree.
The tree will continue to be monitored for its health and safety in the hope that it will restore itself and continue to be a fantastic asset for biodiversity and wellness.
Thanks once again,
Friends of Maghull & District (FOMD).
#environment #fomdcic #Maghull #MTC
Tree Canopy Afterward
Afterwards
Before the Tree Surgery.