Climber silhouetted on a tall fence beside a ladder leaning against a bare tree above a brick wall — Climber on the fence line with a long ladder against the tree trunk.

Tall bare trees behind a brick retaining wall and dark fences with a washing line in the foreground — Looking up at the same trees afterwards, with pale cut ends on the trunk.

This Halesowen garden sits below a bank, with a brick retaining wall and tall dark fencing stepping up towards a stand of tall, bare trees. One of those trees needed work from the top. The first photo catches the job underway, with our climber on the fence line and a long extension ladder leaning against the trunk. The second looks up at the same trees afterwards.

Reading the two photos

In the first photo, the ladder gives access to the lower part of the trunk, while the climber works from the top of the fence in silhouette against the sky. In the second, taken from a lower spot in the garden with a rotary washing line in the corner, pale cut ends can be seen on the trunk and on a branch at the right. Neighbouring trees stand untouched around it.

Trees above fences and walls

When a tree stands above a fence and a retaining wall, nothing can simply be dropped, so branches are lowered on ropes or passed down in short pieces. Fences, walls and boundaries all need protecting, and ground levels like these make footing awkward. We would also check with the council about Tree Preservation Orders, think about nesting birds in spring, and clear the cut wood and green waste when finished.