Emergency tree work at Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens
Abbotsbury Subtropical Garden is an internationally-important garden situated just behind the Fleet Lagoon, which runs parallel to the famous Chesil Beach. The curator called Dale to ask if we could assess and quote for some emergency tree work at Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens. A huge branch had snapped off a very large oak tree and landed over a path. The garden staff had cleared that debris up, but noticed that a huge split had formed in the remaining stem. Above this stem, around 12 metres of branches were still attached, but only just. Every breath of wind caused the split to open up, so there was a real danger of the top crashing down. Most significantly, the garden was about to open for it’s annual floodlit event. This tree was right above the main route, so it had to be made safe, or the event was in jeopardy.
Safety first
Fortunately, we were able to reschedule our other planned work to tackle the storm-damaged tree. The weather was kind to us, with only moderate winds forecast for the following day. After a very careful risk assessment, our team and I agreed that we could undertake the work safely. After securing two separate anchor points, our climber, Rupert attached several ratchet straps to the split stem. This was absolutely necessary. He was confident that the split had been made much more safe, so work could proceed.
Rigging and lowering
The garden contains thousands of rare and unusual plants. Stephen Griffith, the curator, agreed that we were to place safety ahead of the plant collection, but we were committed to preventing any additional damage to the surrounding plants. The team carefully and systematically dismantled and lowered the damaged section of the tree throughout the day. Rupert rigged and cut the branches into manageable pieces. Sean and Dale could then easily control and lower them safely to the ground. Job done.
Do you have any concerns about storm-damaged trees?
If so, call Dale on 07530 686040 or 01305 771874 if you are concerned about any aspect of tree safety.