A Change On The Horizon

Since the college was founded, the view from the cloisters has continued to change, most recently, over a four day period, during the week beginning the 10th August.
The Beech tree, thought to be over 100 years old, seen in the centre of the photo above was, after numerous tests, found to have the disease Ustulina deusta, and after consultation, the decision was made to cut it down. The disease found on broadleaved trees, including Beech, causes a soft rot and decays the stem base and/or roots making the area very brittle.


Tree surgeons, Phil, Dave, Eugene and James were called in to remove most of the tree starting with the lower branches.

This view is from the hebaceous border and can be seen late on in the sequence of photographs.

On the second day more of the Beeches canopy was removed as the surgeons worked their way up to the top of the tree.

At the end of day two, most of the right hand side of the canopy
had been removed, leaving the left had side to be cleared on day three.

By the end of day three, the team had successfully removed the canopy and put all the smaller branches through the chipper. All that was left for day four was a rather large trunk to be reduced.

On day four, the left hand side trunk was cut down in one large chunk and cut into pieces from the safety of the ground.

If you compare these next two photos, you will see that the Beech has gone from the horizon and the view from the cloisters and the hebaceous border has changed for ever more.

All that remains, of this once great Beech tree, is the trunk as it stands to remind us of its presence. I wonder what stories of Worcester College it could tell?