Horse chestnut trees to be felled

The National Trust has spent five years trying to save the avenue

An avenue of horse chestnut trees planted in the 1930s at Avebury, Wiltshire, is to be felled after becoming diseased.

The National Trust said the trees have phytopthora or 'bleeding canker'.

"The crowns and bark are dying and there is the tell-tale black sticky (liquid) oozing from the trunks," said estate head warden Hilary Makins.

Over the next few years the avenue will be replaced with a different species that's more suited to the site.

"It did look like some of the trees were recovering from the disease or at least holding it in remission but the amount of bark loss and death has made many of the trees even more susceptible to attacks from pests, fungal decay or further infection," said Hilary Makins.

"(This) means the branches are more likely to dry out and crack or drop without notice."

Selected felling

For the past five years the National Trust has been trying to maintain and retain the trees through a programme of selected felling and tree surgery.

The avenue, which runs along the A4361, north of the Avebury stones, was planted by Alexander Keiller in 1937.

He was the archaeologist and businessman who founded the Alexander Keiller Museum at the World Heritage Site.

Today the southern end of the avenue is owned by the National Trust, the rest by a local landowner.