One of the very large trees near the entrance of Abbeyfield Park was removed in September 2009 for safety reasons.
The tree, around 150 years old, was suffering from a fungus called Meripilus giganteus, which only affects beech trees. The Council’s tree inspector said,
“It’s probably the most dangerous pathogen of beech trees because it mainly affects the roots causing catastrophic whole tree failure, which can have no warning.”
Abbeyfield Park has been lucky to have new trees planted in recent years but they are struggling against vandalism. As the mature trees reach an age when they are more vulnerable to disease, it’s important we look after the next generation of trees.