Grapple saw at work with a digger
Here, Mark is removing dead and dying pipe trees as part of a forestry thinning project.
All the timber will remain stacked for habitat.
19th November 2025
Author: Debbie Newman
Complete tree management for the next generation
It’s all about the preparation – in the foot of Roundway Hill near Devizes
Before the planting, we sowed a legume mix back in September, then the lines were marked out with GPS then sprayed out to create a suitable planting area. Deer fence next on the to do job list
Complete tree management for the next generation
19th November 2025
Cross Guns Avoncliff tree removal
Following a tree survey, it was decided that a large ash tree, which was showing signs of acute Ash Dieback, should be removed, given its position adjacent to a road and public house
The safest way was with the Merlo Roto to undertake the dismantling of the tree.
Conservation Contractors October Newsletter
Read our latest newsletter here, or sign up on our website to receive your own copy. We send these out approximately every second month.
“The weather-related themes seem to prevail from the previous newsletters…
The ground has gone from waterlogged in March to something resembling concrete over the summer; great to work in, but hard work driving in posts!
As Autumn arrives with shorter days and longer nights, we are still blessed with unseasonal warm/dry weather. The autumn leaves are just beginning to turn, and we should expect to see a varied and impressive show of colours this year, aided by the long, hot, dry summer.
We have just had our annual Health and Safety audit undertaken by The Arboricultural Association and we are pleased to announce that all the hard work by Dan, Emma & Scott has paid off, and we have been awarded SSIP Accreditation, which will be renewed in November – something for the last newsletter of 2025, Yes, the months fly by more quickly every year.
We hope you enjoy our news and updates. Where we have added videos, now hosted with Vimeo to avoid the YouTube ads, you may see a Google pop-up inviting you to sign in/age verify but it seems to appear randomly and generally you don’t have to do this to view our videos. “
Scrub clearance – mulching
Erecting a new fence? First, you need to find the one you are replacing…. (happily made easy with the RoboFlail!) (pic 1)
And the RoboFlail out and about in Cheltenham at the end of September. (pics 2 & 3)
And if you thought we had pensioned off our other mulching machinery, see our ‘proper’ Seppi mulcher out mid-August, clearing an area for ground investigation (no sound with this video)
Removal of ash trees in Avoncliff this week
A tricky project to remove 30 dangerous ash trees from a roadside woodland in Avoncliff along a steep, single-track road, with limited spacing, and having to set up machinery on an incline. However, the Merlo makes the operation safe and efficient – it is fitted with a Grapple Saw, has extra-long reach and is better when working on a road as it has tyres and not track.
Given the number of trees to be removed, a full felling licence was applied for and granted by the Forestry Commission.
Check out our other tree services here
and tree surveys here.
Dismantling a single conifer in Devizes in September
Not all big machines, Josh is dismantling a conifer tree in a rear garden near Devizes.
Runway clearing at Lee on Solent Airport
Nice day on the South Coast towards the end of September to carry out weed control at Lee on Solent Airport.
No Spitfires this time; however, the helicopters created enough of a breeze!
Check out our previous visit (with Spitfire) back in April
Erecting a post-and-3-rail fence at Shearwater
Tristan Alex and Lukas were at Shearwater at the end of September, erecting a post-and-3 rail fence along the newly constructed spillway, a great job!
From WIKI: “Shearwater is a man-made freshwater lake near Crockerton village, just southwest of Warminster. The lake is formed from a tributary of the River Wylye.
It is within the Longleat Estate and is one of five lakes of various sizes. Shearwater Lake, the largest, was created at the end of the 18th century and designed by the 3rd Duke of Bridgwater, Francis Egerton. It is fed by streams dammed by the then Marquis of Bath. The lake is surrounded by mature woodland and is popular with anglers, walkers (especially those with dogs), runners, and cyclists.
The café on Shearwater Lake was officially reopened by Lord Bath in July 2025, marking its transformation into Shearwater Cabin. The café has undergone refurbishment, alongside essential reservoir safety work”.
Dangerous ash trees
Mark sorting some more dangerous ash trees along public rights of way in Wiltshire
For details of our tree services, please see here.
