It was another busy weekend for Dedham Vale Tree Surgeons. We were called out to Wrabness Woods to assist the local fire brigade after they had been unable to extinguish a fire before too much damage was done. Vandals had set fire to a Sweet Chestnut tree at the popular destination for walkers and nature lovers.

The triple-stemmed tree overhangs one of the main footpaths and due to the amount of damage done, one of the stems had to be removed completely to make the tree safe for the public. 2 of the stems were left standing in the hopes that the tree can be retained long-term. The fire did quite a bit of damage to the base of the stem so there is a high probability that this could prone to decay in the coming years. Therefore the tree will need to be regularly inspected in the future. Anyone who knows the area well will understand that this tree is an integral part of the landscape, and its loss would be noticeable to users of the woodland.

As a company of tree lovers, it baffles us why some people feel the need to be so destructive in areas of outstanding natural beauty.