Northampton outdoor classroom left looking bare after 'high risk' trees are felled

An outdoor classroom on a Northampton nature trail has been cleared of trees that had reportedly become a risk to the public.

The play area on Brampton Valley Way, which runs near Kingsthorpe, features a story telling chair and hammocks as a spot for children to learn among nature, with a canopy made up of eight mature willow trees.

However, the classroom has been left bare after the overhanging trees were deemed to a risk to the public and felled.

Transport charity Sustrans, who help maintain the UK's National Cycle Network and walking routes, said the trees had to be cut down as a "last resort" as they had become a danger.

Land manager Martyn Brunt said: "All eight trees were all nearing the end of their natural life... I had serious concerns about the condition of the trees following a detailed inspection.

"Our initial plan was to pollard (reduce) them however once we began to work on them we realised the trees were in even worse condition than we thought, and were rotten in the centre.

"We do not take felling trees lightly and it is a last resort, however had any of the trees fallen on to the path or railway, or shed limbs on to people below, the incident would have been a very serious one indeed.

"They could not have been left in the condition they were without posing a very serious risk."

Sustans said the timber from the trees has been used to create a seating area and habitats, with woodchips spread across the play area. Meanwhile, the main classroom area and storytelling chair reportedly remains "untouched and in place".

Brampton Valley Way is a 14-mile cycling and walking route created using the remains of the Northampton-Market Harborough railway line.