We were delighted to secure the contract for some tree works within the grounds of Lulworth Castle House over the past week or two.  This involved dismantling and removing three trees – a very large sycamore, a dead horse chestnut and a medium-sized, multi-stemmed eucalyptus.  The weather did its best to disrupt proceedings for the first day or two, but after the initial soaking we were blessed with good conditions for the rest of the work. The horse chestnut was quick and easy!  Danny and Sean felled it and divided the arisings between the log and chipping piles, and the logs were removed with our tipper truck and 3 tonne trailer.  The sycamore was an altogether different proposition – around ninety feet high and with extensive decay and dead wood throughout the canopy.  Because we were working within the garden of Lulworth Castle House, we had to ensure that we caused no damage to the lawns or other existing trees and shrubs – and that meant rigging and lowering all of the branches under control.  This is where the GRCS lowering device came into its own.  It is based on a capstan yachting winch, and gives us the capability of holding, lowering and lifting heavy branches during the dismantling operation.  All of the small branches were chipped into the truck, which we drove over plywood boards to save the lawn in the wet conditions.

After the side branches and top of the tree had been dismantled, Josh was able to “chog” down sections of the trunk onto a bed of used car tyres, which prevent the heavy pieces of wood from damaging the lawn.  Much of the deadwood has already been converted to firewood, and the remaining 20 or so tonnes will be processed over coming weeks, ready for seasoning and subsequent sale to local customers in the Weymouth, Portland and Dorchester areas.  Do give us a call if you need some logs for this winter!

Here’s a selection of images from the project…