Dark Hedges trees made famous by ‘Game Of Thrones’ felled

The enactment volition spot six of the trees astatine the Dark Hedges removed and remedial enactment carried retired connected respective others.

The passageway of trees became celebrated erstwhile it was featured successful the HBO phantasy bid and present attracts important numbers of tourists from astir the world.

However, concerns person been raised astir the authorities of respective of the beech trees and a fig person blown down during storms successful caller years.

As enactment began astatine the tract yesterday morning, determination were respective planetary tourists visiting the trees.

Mervyn Storey, president of the Dark Hedges Preservation Trust, said the enactment followed 2 reports which concluded immoderate trees would person to beryllium removed for information reasons.

“While we would privation that these trees would past forever, the world is if they are 300 years of property that is not going to beryllium the lawsuit and this enactment has to beryllium carried out,” the erstwhile DUP MLA said.

“I deliberation it is besides different marker successful the agelong travel that we are connected successful presumption of putting successful spot a absorption operation to negociate this area. Eight seconds successful Game Of Thrones changed the Bregagh Road and the Dark Hedges for ever and we person adjacent today, adjacent though determination is simply a closure successful the road, we person radical from California.

“This has been a tourer attraction for the past fig of years.

“Yes, determination is enactment needs to beryllium done, but determination has to beryllium a semipermanent program and that is going to instrumentality wealth and wherever is that coming from?

“We don’t privation to inhibit people, but we besides privation to guarantee erstwhile radical travel present they are safe.

“There has to beryllium assertive replanting, determination had been a replanting precocious 2014, but due to the fact that of deficiency of assets to support that planting it hasn’t taken.”

The trees connected the Bregagh Road, adjacent Stranocum, are connected privately owned land.

The North’s section for infrastructure said an autarkic specializer survey recovered that 11 trees, retired of a full of 86, were successful a mediocre information and could airs a imaginable hazard to the public.

Following discussions with applicable landowners and different stakeholders, arrangements were made to region six of the trees, retaining the stumps, and for remedial enactment to beryllium carried retired connected 4 trees, to trim the hazard to the public.

The information of 1 further histrion volition beryllium assessed connected site.

A section connection said: “This determination has not been made lightly and, portion the amenity worth afforded by the corridor of trees is acknowledged, the information of roadworthy users is paramount.

“The section volition proceed to prosecute with landowners and different stakeholders regarding their implementation of a suitable absorption strategy to support the aboriginal of the different 75 trees.”