Oxfordshire Woodland Group

The extreme wet and storms experieced in South Oxfordshire during December 2013 and January 2014 have eventually claimed a victim.

A 140 year old beech tree in a neighbouring woodland fellover across a quiet lane and then sucumbed to Oxfordshire County Council Highways tree clearance team leaving only the stump and crown (lop & top) of the tree evident.

This beech tree was a leaner and the roots on the compression side of the tree have clearly experienced shear failure together with the roots on the tension side of the tree failing in tension.

Once the tree trunk was cut and removed the stump sprang upwards again almost resuming it's former leaning position.

The top of the tree came down on top of a hawthorn hedge on the other side of the road (which is about to be laid) and buried itself in same.

The tree clearance team cut back fallen debris clear of the highway and then departed leaving the woodland owner on the other side of the road to clear up the mess. All this effort is not entirely in vain since any stout beech tree top branches will provide exceedingly good firewood once cut and dried and any remaining twiggy branch stock can be used to help protect the OWG Phase II hedge once it has been laid.

Does anyone know where these tree trunks end up ?

Chilterns