Tree infested by moth larvae to be felled
A MATURE Turkey oak alongside Ste Apolline chapel will be felled next week, after a goat moth larvae infestation was discovered.
Head of heritage services Helen Glencross said the work at the St Saviour’s chapel was necessary.
‘The larvae eat both the inner bark and woody fibres causing extensive tunnels which damage the tree,’ she said.
‘The oak is a very large tree, around 20m tall, and so will be removed by a tree surgeon on Wednesday and Thursday.
‘While the work is carried out, the Rue de Ste Apolline will be closed, and properties will only be accessible from the northern end of the lane.’
The chapel on Grande Rue dates back to the 14th century and survives largely in its original form.
Services stopped in the mid-16th century and it became a stable for a nearby farm.
In 1873 it became the first structure to be placed in the care of the then Ancient Monuments Committee. It became a protected monument in 1938 and was restored in the 1970s.
