Tree over ancient stone circle chopped down
A 200-year-old tree at the centre of worship by druids and witches
has been chopped down to size after it became diseased. The 80ft
beech at Winterbourne Abbas (England) has been reduced to a 10-metre
stump by English Heritage because of fears it would die and fall
over. The tree has become a dominant feature at the site, famous for
the ancient stone circle standing beneath its branches.
Now the Dolmen Grove, a Weymouth-based druid group, will perform
a 're- balancing' ritual in mourning for the loss of the tree and to
mark a new beginning for their holy site. Chris Bally, regional
landscape manager for English Heritage said a number of local people
had made complaints about the tree being cut. But he said English
Heritage had acted in the interests of public safety and to protect
the stones. He said: "The tree is infected with the fungus Meripilus
giganteus (also commonly known as Polypore) which causes decay to the
underground roots of mature beech.
"Once the fungus is established, the tree loses support from its
roots and will eventually blow over. We are very sad at having to
lose the tree but due to the proximity of the A35, the tree had to be
made safe before it fell."
Source: Dorset Echo (13 March 2007)
