It’s always a shame to when a mature Oak tree has to be removed, but unfortunately due to a number of factors this one in Bishopthorpe had to go. The tree was was situated on the border of two properties, tight against a fence on one side and phone lines close to the other (with a smattering of sheds and freshly laid paving mixed in). The original plan had been to remove it all through the neighbors side, however some emergency utility work had left them with a large hole in their driveway.
Which left us with Plan B, dismantle and lower the entire tree, through the narrow gap between the fence and the phone lines. Fortunately the weather was absolutely glorious, sunny with no wind, in Bishopthorpe and despite the logistical hiccups to start with, the tree came down great.
How We Did it
I got up, fighting my way through the ivy and set a nice high anchor point (the joys of working on Oaks) which would moving round the tree so much easier. Then we set the Notch Safebloc up at a high point as far away from the lines as we could, which worked well even if we did have to use a hook occasionally to get it to come down on the right side of the fence. Our whole team isn’t quite as sold on the Safebloc as I am, but for a job like this it was perfect we could stick the rope through two rings and hand hold every piece, rather than having to set up the portawrap for every piece.
With that in place it was really just a case of cutting and chucking a lot of the branches (and all the ivy) and then rigging down the tops and the timber. We had to do a set up another ring as a redirect as we got further out over the lines and the sheds which greatly reduced the swing as the pieces came over. Then it was just a case of chogging (cutting the stem down one ring at time) the stem and a big tidy up.
Oak Removal Bishopthorpe
Fortunately as soon as we’d realised that the neighbors garden was a no go, we brought a second team with us to help out which was a blessing when it came to clean up and moving logs, especially as 28 inch Oak rings weigh a ton. Meaning that despite it being a big old tree, in a tight space we were able to get everything nice, tidy and leave the neighbors in peace by 3pm.
