Blenheim Palace was built in the 18th Century to celebrate victory over the French in the war of the Spanish Succession. In particular, it was built as a gift to the 1st Duke of Marlborough, John Churchill, the military commander who led the Allied forces in the battle of Blenheim on 13th August 1704. In more recent history, it was also birthplace to Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister at the time who led Britain to victory in the Second World War. Brockwells Forestry were asked to undertake sensitive works on the renowned estate in the picturesque village in Woodstock, Oxford. A powerline running on the periphery of Estate had become overgrown with vegetation and with a risk of fouling the integrity of the electricity supply in the area we set about undertaking this work.
Due to the location of the site, which was located in a avenue of trees leading to the “Column of Victory” a landmark for the Palace we had to ensure that the works blended in with the local environment.
Our surveyors first contacted the Estate, to arrange a meeting between all interested parties and form a method, which would firstly ensure we could carry out the works safely to best practice, whilst reducing the trees significantly to ensure an aesthetic appeal and enough clearance from the overhead powerline to ensure integrity to the local area for years to come. Once established, we utilised our Unimogs with Insulated Aerial Devices to obtain access to the canopy, where we were able to accurately reduce the vegetation to obtain an adequate clearance to the powerline. Due to the nature of using Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWPs) over other means such as a rope and harness, we were able to prune the trees more accurately ensuring a more pleasing and natural look to the tree. For more information on Blenheim Palace visit Blenheim Palace