Walker’s shock as 40-foot tree collapses on Buxton’s Broadwalk
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Its roots can be seen still buried in Pavilion Gardens from where it gave way - as a passing couple walks around its massive trunk.
Andy Gregory, who captured the images, described how pieces of the tree’s branches were piled up in a garden facing Broadwalk as Derbyshire County Council worked to clear the path.
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Keen photographer Andy - a Buxton resident of 40 years - said the tree had been leaning over the path at a 50 degree angle for “as long as I can remember”.
Retired father-of-three Andy said: “If someone had been walking underneath it they would have been killed immediately - it’s such a hefty-looking tree trunk.
“I’ve always felt a bit iffy walking underneath it but it was a shock because we walk regularly at Pavilion Gardens and it was fine two days before.
“As far as I can see it’s fallen naturally - the roots have ripped out of the ground - so it must have been the strong winds the other night which pushed it over.
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“But it surprised me that there were no safety barriers up around the tree as workmen dealt with it - nothing keeping the public back.”
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Andy, 67, who walks around Pavilion Gardens several times a week taking photos, feels the tree should have been removed a long time ago by tree surgeons.
Derbyshire County Council and High Peak Borough Council have been contacted for comment.