The western boundary of the site runs along the edge of Longdown Lane. This road has many very old ash trees along its side which over time are highly likely to die. They have been inspected by a professional and currently show no sign of ash dieback, however they are old and the canopy of many of them isn't in the best of health - it is inevitable at some point in the future they will need to be felled and this will change the entire landscape of the road.
Historical Dutch elm disease
From inspecting the hedgeline it is clear that the current ash trees were one planted as replacements for Elm trees which would once have been popular along the road. In the 1970's Dutch elm ravaged the UK and caused the demise of millions of trees.
Preserving the hedgeline
Now in anticipation of ash dieback we have planted 8 x 6ft oak trees which were kindly donated to us and saved from being disposed of. Over the coming years these will grow into the hedgerow and once the ash have gone, will provide a wonderful site alongside the road.