VIDEO: Huntingdon’s 100-year-old lime trees get the chop

AFTER more than a century standing sentinel in front of Castle Hill House, two lime trees in Huntingdon have been given the chop in favour of younger replacements.

AFTER more than a century standing sentinel in front of Castle Hill House, two lime trees in Huntingdon have been given the chop in favour of younger replacements.

Our video shows the moment on Wednesday afternoon when the second tree was felled.

Huntingdonshire District Council had been managing the steady decline of the trees for several years through regular pruning and monitoring, but decided to fell the trees to prevent them becoming unsafe.

Six years ago new trees were planted to replace the two limes, and they they have grown so well that they are now being shaded out by the old trees, said Brian Ogden, HDC’s arboricultural officer.

“The time has come to remove the old trees and make way for the new trees to thrive,” he said.

“Trees are a familiar site in our towns, and they are often taken for granted. Most people assume they will always be there.

“The early planting of replacement lime trees six years ago is a great example of carefully planned tree management, which minimises the impact of the loss of the trees and ensures the attractive setting of the front of Castle Hill House for future generations.”