This winter has seen lots of tree work going on in various places. Those of you who know the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation – running between Heybridge Basin and Chelmsford – will know the large number of trees that are along the canal and locks.
At Hoe Mill there are several Ash trees beside the mooring, just along from the Lock. These are suffering from Ash Dieback, as are many of our Ash trees. To prevent dead branches being a danger to both people and boats, substantial tree surgery was needed. Interestingly a couple of trees were badly affected, needing major crown reduction, whereas another couple of trees along the same canal side were in much better condition and only needed relatively limited tree surgery.
There is ongoing concern that over the next 10 – 20 years we are likely to lose over 90% of our Ash trees. This is not only an environmental problem, but also a major safety issue as many of these trees are next to roads and public areas and will need ongoing tree surgery to keep them safe.
On a more positive note, the Navigation grows Cricket Bat willows as a commercial crop. These are planted in the Winter as big cuttings – lengths of Willow about 12 foot long are put into a hole in the ground and (hopefully) root during the next year. These are grown on for 20 – 30 years before being harvested to be made into cricket bats.
Eric Teverson
March 2019
