Six beech trees in "Game of Thrones" avenue are felled
A scene in the TV series "Game of Thrones" made a mystical avenue of beech trees in Northern Ireland internationally famous. Now six trees in the street known as "Dark Hedges" are being felled - due to old age and storm damage. Branches are being removed from other trees.
The work began on Monday in County Antrim under the watchful eyes of several tourists, as reported by the Belfast Telegraph newspaper. The road has been closed to cars for years anyway, after visitors regularly caused traffic chaos on the hunt for a photo. Now pedestrians are also not allowed to walk along the avenue between the villages of Armoy and Stranocum for the time being.
Mervyn Storey from the Dark Hedges Preservation Trust said that two surveys had shown that some trees had to be removed for safety reasons: "Even though we would like these trees to last forever, the reality is that they won't. They are 300 years old and this work needs to be done." A long-term plan and replanting are needed, Storey said. "Eight seconds in Game Of Thrones changed Bregagh Road and the Dark Hedges forever."
Of the original 150 or so beech trees, 86 were still standing, but an investigation by the Ministry of Infrastructure found that eleven trees were in poor condition and posed a potential danger. In discussions, landowners and other stakeholders agreed to the removal of six trees and work on four others. "This decision was not taken lightly," the ministry said. "Although the value of the avenue for recreation is recognized, the safety of road users is a priority."
The trees had once been planted along Bregagh Road, which led to the Gracehill House estate, built in 1775.
Despite the renown brought by its appearance in "Game of Thrones," several trees in the famed "Dark Hedges" avenue, a tourist hotspot in Northern Ireland, are undergoing removal due to age and storm damage. Visitors, even on foot, are temporarily prohibited from walking along the avenue, much to the dismay of those eager to capture its enchanting beauty, as highlighted in a Belfast Telegraph report.
Interest in this captivating natural attraction was significantly bolstered by its feature as the "Kingsroad" in HBO's "Game of Thrones," with eight seconds of screen time transforming Bregagh Road and the Dark Hedges forever.
Source: www.dpa.com
