Tree SurgeonGuildford

Property types here range from Victorian and Edwardian townhouses close to the centre, through to 1930s semis in areas like Stoughton and Park Barn, and larger detached houses with long gardens in Merrow, Burpham and the villages around Guildford such as Shalford, Compton and Worplesdon. Mature oak, beech, Scots pine and poplar are all common on the bigger plots, and we've done work on exactly this kind of tree in the area: one recent job for a customer in GU23 involved taking down a 30-metre poplar close to the house, which needed real care to bring down safely in sections without any damage to the property.

Guildford town centre and several of the villages around it, including parts of Shalford and areas close to the castle and cathedral quarter, fall within conservation areas managed by Guildford Borough Council, and individual trees across the borough may also be protected by a Tree Preservation Order. Getting any necessary consent for work in a conservation area or on a protected tree is the customer's responsibility, but we're always happy to talk through the proposed work in detail so you have what you need to check with the council first if there's any doubt.

Common work in and around Guildford includes reducing mature trees that have grown large on greensand or chalk soils, removing self-seeded ash and sycamore from hedgerows and boundaries, stump grinding after felling, and dead wooding large garden trees before branches come down on sheds, cars or boundary fences. We also pick up emergency work after wet, windy weather coming off the Surrey Hills, when softened ground and strong gusts can be enough to bring down an already weakened tree.

We also work closely with homeowners planning building projects, where an extension, driveway or basement job means a tree near the works needs assessing, reducing or removing before construction starts. Guildford's mix of established family homes and newer developments on the edge of town, such as those around Slyfield and the Weyside Urban Village area, means we see a steady spread of both mature garden trees and younger, more recently planted specimens that still need shaping as they establish.

The Surrey Hills bring their own weather patterns too. Elevated ground to the south and east of the town can see stronger winds and heavier rainfall than the town centre itself, and we see more storm-related callouts from villages up on higher ground after a bad night of weather. Having covered Guildford for years, we have a good sense of which types of garden and which tree species are most likely to need attention after exposed spells of wind and rain.