Two ancient ash trees were at the point of falling into the River Derwent. The ground around their roots was fractured and raised as a result of the listing trees. Should the trees have fallen in, they would have opened up a large area of river banking to very rapid erosion depositing large volumes of damaging silt and associated nutrients into the river and Bassenthwaite Lake. The decision was undertaken to pollard the trees. This was to:-

  • ensure the trees survived (old ash trees)
  • take the weight (and ‘sail’) off the top of the tree….and
  • to use two of the branches to provide large wooded debris to help protect the fish from excessive predation

Finally the fence was repaired and line wires tightened to ensure continued stock exclusion.

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