Climber high in a leaning pine tree above a garden with cut logs scattered on the lawn — Climber working high up in the pine, with cut logs already lying on the lawn below

Tree climber on a rope in the crown of a large pine behind a garden shed — Climber on ropes in the crown of the pine above a garden outbuilding

View up the trunk of a tall pine showing climbing ropes and a small tuft of green at the top — Looking straight up the trunk, with climbing ropes and a small tuft of foliage left at the top

Large pine in a garden with a small climber visible in the branches and tools on the grass — The pine still standing in the garden while work starts, with the climber visible in the crown

Long mown lawn between borders leading to a garden building with tall trees behind it — The long lawn looking towards the back, with bare trees and a tall dark conifer

This project was a large pine in a long, narrow garden in Monkspath. The tree stood close to a garden building and the neighbouring plots, so it could not simply be pushed over. Our climber went up on ropes and took it apart from the top down. The photos show the job at several stages, from the first cuts in the crown to the lawn once the work was under way.

How a tree like this comes down

A tall pine with limited space around it is normally dismantled in sections. The climber ties in, works from the top and cuts the branches and then the trunk into manageable pieces, which are lowered on ropes rather than dropped. That protects fences and outbuildings. One photo shows the climber well up in the crown, another looks straight up the trunk to the tuft of foliage left at the top.

What the garden looked like

Cut logs and brushwood are scattered across the grass in the early photos, which is normal while a job is in progress. A tree this size produces a lot of timber that must be logged up and carried out. If you have a large pine or conifer, check with the council whether a Tree Preservation Order or conservation area applies before any cutting starts.