A COLOSSAL 120ft Redwood at Batsford Arboretum is to be felled after years of maintenance.

The tree is 120 years old and towers above the surrounding species but has been slowly dying over a number of years.

Head Gardner Matthew Hall said: “It’s something we absolutely hate doing.

“The time has come where there is not much life in the tree and now is the time to remove it.”

A 27 ton crane will soon be on site to move the remains of the tree before they are sold on and turned into planks.

Matthew stressed that the tree had been managed for many years as it declined and added that in comparison to American Redwoods, which can measure more than 90m tall, it was actually quite a small specimen.