As many of you will have seen, the beautiful elm tree that used to be such a feature on the crescent green in Rossendale Way was fatally damaged during the high winds last Friday afternoon (21 August 2020) and now is no more.
A tree surgeon was called out, arrived about 6pm, assessed the tree as not saveable, and then set about making the area safe.
The tree surgeon and team returned after the weekend and the job is now complete. All that is now left is a flat stump just a few inches high and a pile of wood pieces.
If you would like a memento of the tree, please do come and take a piece, but be prepared: It’s rough sawn wood and deceptively heavy.
What Happened
Shortly after 3:30pm last Friday a gust from the Storm Ellen winds caught one of the main branches and caused it to collapse, totally covering two parked cars and blocking several people in their houses. Less than ten minutes later a second branch was blown down, covering even more of the green and blocking access to several more houses – now over half the crescent.
We were incredibly lucky indeed that no one was hurt. We were also fortunate, especially considering the sheer weight of wood that came down, that property damage was minimal. A smashed rear windscreen, one smashed door mirror, some dents and scrapes, a couple of cracked garden fences, a few squashed plants and shrubs – and that was it!
Very sad that the elm that has been part of living in Elm Village since the beginning has now gone but we have discussed options with Places for People and are planning to get a new elm planted in the same spot next year. As is the horticulture of elms, its new roots will in time integrate with the old elm’s roots. New generation and old together. Continuity and a new beginning