BALANCING SAFETY, HERITAGE, AND ECOLOGY

At Wiston Castle, a dead sycamore posed an immediate hazard to visitors and risked damaging a Scheduled Monument. Enviroculture delivered a carefully managed solution that removed high-risk branches using rope-assisted lowering, protected archaeological features with ground protection mats, managed livestock on site, and retained the trunk as habitat, ensuring safety, compliance, and biodiversity value.

ABOUT THE CLIENT

Cadw, the historic environment service of the Welsh Government, manages Wiston Castle, a Scheduled Monument and Guardianship Site in Pembrokeshire. The site welcomes visitors daily, making public safety, heritage conservation, and ecological stewardship vital.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Enviroculture designed a heritage-sensitive and ecologically responsible solution:

• Hazardous branches were dismantled using rope-assisted lowering, ensuring no heavy limbs fell directly onto the monument or earthworks.
• The trunk and main branch bases were retained as standing deadwood, providing habitat for wildlife.
• Ground protection mats safeguarded archaeological features where machinery was required for access and waste wood removal.
• Exclusion zones and clear signage were set up to protect visitors on this live public site.
• Livestock were carefully managed on site, with working practices adapted to maintain both safety and welfare.

THE CHALLENGE

A dead sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus, ID 0086/0313) infected with honey fungus (Armillaria mellea) was identified on the crest of the castle’s outer earthwork. The tree posed a high risk of branch failure along a well-used visitor path. Challenges included:

• The need for Scheduled Monument Consent to ensure all works respected archaeological features.
• A Tree Preservation Order requiring consultation with the local authority.
• The presence of livestock within the monument grounds, which could not be moved during operations.
• Maintaining visitor safety on a live, publicly accessible site.

THE SOLUTION

Work was carried out as an emergency response. Skilled arborists used climbing and rigging techniques to dismantle limbs in controlled sections, each lowered to the ground by rope to avoid impact on archaeological structures. Waste wood was cleared with machinery operating only over protected ground. Exclusion areas ensured public safety, while close communication with Cadw and Pembrokeshire County Council guaranteed compliance with Scheduled Monument and TPO requirements.

THE IMPLEMENTATION

Managing operations around livestock required flexible risk control, including shifting exclusion zones in response to animal movement. The simultaneous need to protect heritage assets, visitors, and biodiversity demanded precise coordination and adaptive working methods.

THE RESULTS

• Public Safety: All immediate risks to visitors were eliminated.
• Heritage Protection: No damage to Scheduled Monument earthworks thanks to rope-assisted lowering and ground protection.
• Biodiversity: Standing deadwood was preserved as valuable habitat.
• Compliance: Works were delivered in line with Scheduled Monument Consent and TPO conditions.
• Live Site Management: Visitors and livestock were safely managed throughout operations.