Major plans to restore a popular tree-lined avenue for the first time in 200 years has been announced.

Cirencester Park in Cirencester has been a popular destination for residents and tourists for the past 300 years.

The most famous walk in the park is the Broad Avenue, a tree-lined promenade that represents the main route into the park from Cirencester.

290 Horse Chestnut trees were planted on Broad Avenue in the early 1800’s by Henry, the 3rd Earl Bathurst, making up a large part of the avenue.

Sadly, only 92 trees remain, with the trees fast coming to the end of their lives, regularly shedding large boughs due to their sheer weight, storm and pest damage or disease.

Whole trees are now leaning at precarious angles posing serious health and safety issues for people in the park.

It has fallen within the present Earl Bathurst’s management of the estate to take on the responsibility of restoring the Broad Avenue to its former glory, removing the aged and diseased trees and re-planting replacement trees for the future generations.

Lord Bathurst said: "It will be a challenging project but one I am looking forward to sinking my teeth into.

"This is being done for future generations to enjoy and it is essential we get this right.

"It will look a little bit odd to begin with but it is for our children and grandchildren and so on for the next 200 years."

The remaining trees with the exception of six pairs will be removed and replanted with Small Leaved Lime trees, which can grow up to 120 feet without spreading the canopy, thus maintaining the ‘broad’ avenue.

The felling of trees is expected to take place in September and October before the replanting of Small Leaved Lime trees in January 2020.

Once removed, the felled trees will be chipped and will likely be used as biomass, organic matter that is used as renewable energy.

Jo McAllister CMLI, landscape architect at Historic England said: "We confirm that we agree with the approach to restore the Broad Avenue which was outlined and discussed during the meeting and site walkabout."

"We understand the options appraisal that took place and the decision to retain the framework of 6-7 pairs of the existing mature Horse Chestnut trees, and remove and replant all the others in 2020.

"The retained pairs will then be replaced approximately five years later to ensure a relatively even age structure is retained.

"We also agree with the proposal to replant the avenue with Small Leaf Lime, a good quality avenue tree providing an attractive form, seasonal interest, important wildlife value, and one which should prove more disease and pest resistant than the Horse Chestnut."