poor old beech. what do i do?

i would appreciate any ideas about what to do with this tree,

it was topped back when i was a boy, i remember them doing it when i was waiting for the school bus! about 20yrs ago!

all the middle is dead and large lumps of deadwood have been dropping off periodically, it looks like there is somr living material almost forming a ring around the outside, the bit they didnt touch when it was topped.

i could just remove deadwood in the middle but i think that would still look pretty nasty or fell the lot

its a tpo,

the stem is annoyingly 'as clean as a whistle'

Not what beeches like - surprised it lasted that long.

Fell/replant or monolith/pollard

Looks liek a corenet pruned tree!!

If its TPO then apply to fell it and if they say no then there is your answer, if yes then you still have a decision to make but I would fell it if the owners are ok with that, or completely leave it to its own devices, i.e. to fall apart as it pleases.

Its not your problem that it got ruined years ago.

Maybe leave a stem for habitat and it may even grow off that for another 20 years!

Fell/replant or monolith/pollard

You read my mind or vice versa!!

What Rupe said ^^^^

 

Maybe leave a stem for habitat and it may even grow off that for another 20 years!

That's what I was getting at - and almost certainly what i'd be inclined to do.

I think its important to seperate pollarding a beech tree (bad) from pollarding a knackered topped beech tree to give it half a chance (good).

I think its important to seperate pollarding a beech tree (bad) from pollarding a knackered topped beech tree to give it half a chance (good).

I would like to state for the record that I would never normally recommend the pollarding of a beech but in this particular circumstance I belive it may be a satisfactory control measure to minimise hazards associated with limb shed and deadwood falling and may offer the tree a new lease of life or a new purpose in life for habitat - either way it would be beneficial.

that looks like a big old beech tree, i think the recomended max for a monolith is about 5m, monkeyd is the man to tell you the facts, any close ups to get the scale, just out of interest. if there are a lot of targets below i would just remove all the dead if you werent allowed to fell it. but going by what i here from the site someone will fell it for firewood lol