Going, Going, Gone!

The end of an era in Dorchester as 'iconic' trees are felled!

It's a sad day for Dorchester as two horse chestnut trees were chopped down due to their 'poor structural condition'. The trees were located near Coffee #1 and were a prominent feature of the town centre landscape.

According to the Dorchester Town Council, the decision to remove the trees was not an easy one, but necessary for safety reasons. The trees had become significantly decayed, and an inspection from council officers revealed that they also stood above a disused underground toilet, which didn't help their condition.

But the news hasn't gone down well with some Dorchester residents who are mourning the loss of the trees. And it seems that there could be more bad news on the horizon, as the county town's Walks trees network could lose a 'significant number of its conker trees' in the future due to Bleeding Canker.

However, the council has promised to replace the trees with four new saplings - three large container-grown multi-stemmed white-barked birch trees and a liquidambar tree. Cllr Fiona Kent-Ledger said that replanting the area was a 'very big priority' for them, and they plan to dig bigger holes for the trees if possible to secure bigger trees.

Some residents who witnessed the trees being chopped down said it was the 'end of an era', while others said they 'couldn't give a bollocks', but the council hopes that the new trees will eventually become just as iconic as the old ones.