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Mature Rowan Trees by Berwick Old Bridge Illegally Felled

16th April – Two mature rowan trees by the Old Bridge in the Stonemason’s Yard, Tweedmouth, have been felled without permission by workers from the Port of Berwick. A well-known and unusual Victorian statue of an angel protecting a child has also been removed, along with a second smaller monument. This is a photograph of one of the rowan trees, thought to be 70+ years old:

Felling trees in a conservation area without permission from the county council is forbidden by law and can elicit a £20k fine per tree.

The clearing of the site has been done ahead of a potential tenant for the stonemason’s workshop. However, since the site has once again been favoured for a car park in a recent NCC report, the question has to be asked: was the impending tenancy and associated ‘clean-up’ simply an excuse for making the car park plan easier to implement later on?

The Harbour Commission has referred themselves to NCC, who have apparently agreed that it was an ‘accident’. But all the signs point to very deliberate wrongdoing by person or persons unknown:

1. Workmen wearing vests emblazoned with ‘Port of Berwick’ were approached on the previous Friday, 10th April, and muttered “say nothing, say nothing,” before the felling. They then said that they were connecting services to the workshop as it was being rented out.

2. After the felling, a workman told a resident that the trees had been snapped, not cut. This is a classic ruse to avoid responsibility and blame it on something else, e.g. the wind (there wasn’t any storm the night before, when the trees were photographed intact).

3. The workmen also told the same resident that the site should be a car park as the Port needed the money. This indicates that the car park plan was in their minds.

4. Another resident saw them bulldozing trees from their house.

5. I videoed myself talking to a workman clearing up the site on Tuesday, and remarks included “I don’t care” and “we had permission from the council”. However, he could name neither the council contact nor the department. Clearly it was a lie, and he then made a short video on which he lied that I swore at him. The emerging themes here are deception and arrogance.

Only recently, a Facebook user was asking about the angel statue. And several residents have said that they were admiring the trees only a few days ago.

Although the Harbour Commission says they will plant new trees, neither they nor NCC are motivated to put any obstacle in the way of possible car park plans.

Residents are prepared to take legal advice if the promise is not carried through. This vandalism is a cynical assault on both the history and natural environment of Tweedmouth, and it was obviously done – by someone – in the knowledge that it was illegal. ‘Oops, workers went rogue’ isn’t nearly good enough.

Residents are demanding to know who thought they were above the law, and the whereabouts and condition of the monuments.

A video and more photos are provided below.

The aftermath of the site clearance, 13th April 2026