Tree surgery and removals · Lower Dowdeswell
Forestry the Cotswold estates trust, for your garden too
Tree surgery, hedge cutting and forestry contracting from a family firm whose foresters are fully qualified and fully insured, in their own words and on paper.
What we do
Serious work, done calmly
Big trees near houses are not a job for guesswork. Every job is planned, priced in writing, and cleared up behind.
Tree surgery
Reductions, removals and dismantles, planned properly and carried out by qualified foresters.
Hedge cutting and shrub shaping
Overgrown hedges brought back to a clean line, cuttings gone the same day.
Get a quote for thisForestry contracting
Woodland management for estates and landowners across the Cotswolds.
Get a quote for thisReady-to-burn logs and kindling
Seasoned firewood and smokeless fuel from their own timber, delivered locally.
Get a quote for thisChristmas trees
Choose your own from the selection of cut and potted trees each December.
Get a quote for thisKnow what you are buying
What safe tree work actually involves
A big tree near a house is taken apart, not cut down. Knowing what should happen helps you judge any quote, including ours.
Sectional dismantle
The tree comes down in pieces, each one roped and lowered under control. Nothing free-falls near a building, a greenhouse or a fence.
The protection check
Before any saw starts: is the tree under a Preservation Order, is the area a conservation area, is anything nesting. Skipping this can cost the homeowner thousands.
Insurance you can see
Tree work is high-risk. Any professional will show you their insurance certificate before starting. If someone will not, do not let them up the tree.
The clear-up
Brush chipped, wood logged or removed, lawn protected from machinery. The job is not done when the tree is down. It is done when the garden is back.
The firm
Who you are dealing with
Dowdeswell Forestry is a family firm working across the Cotswolds, from private gardens to some of the most prestigious estates in the county. The same qualified, insured foresters handle both. They also sell ready-to-burn logs and kindling, and at Christmas you can choose your own tree, cut or potted.
How it works
Three steps, no chasing
You always know what happens next, and what it costs, before it happens.
Send a photo of the tree
Where it stands and what is around it tells us most of what we need.
We look and we quote
Access, what is overhead, whether the tree is protected. Then one fixed price in writing.
We do it and clear it
Logs stacked for your burner if you want them. Gone if you do not.
Where we work
Based in Lower Dowdeswell, covering the county
- Lower Dowdeswell
- Cheltenham
- Gloucester
- Stroud
- Tewkesbury
- Cirencester
- Bishops Cleeve
- Painswick
- Dursley
Questions
The things people ask first
How much does tree work cost?
Small pruning jobs sit at the lower end, large removals near buildings cost more. Most UK tree surgeons charge £40 to £80 an hour, and a full day with a team usually lands between £250 and £460. The quote you get is fixed, in writing, and includes taking everything away.
Is my tree protected? What is a TPO?
Some trees carry a Tree Preservation Order, and whole conservation areas have their own rules. Working on a protected tree without consent is an offence with serious fines. The council check happens before any saw starts, as part of the quote. Consent applications are free but take a few weeks, so it pays to ask early.
Can my neighbour’s tree overhang my garden?
You may cut back branches to your boundary line, but the cuttings still belong to the tree’s owner, and protected trees need consent first. The safe route is to have it checked before cutting anything.
What happens to the branches and wood?
Everything is chipped and taken away as part of the job. If you would rather keep the trunk for firewood, it gets logged and stacked instead. Your call.
Should the stump go too?
If you want the space back, yes. Grinding takes it below the surface so you can plant or pave straight over. A left stump can regrow, and old stumps attract honey fungus.
When is the best time of year for tree work?
Most work happens year round. The main limit is nesting season: active nests are protected by law, so heavy work in a busy crown may need to wait a few weeks. That gets checked before cutting.
Will the garden survive the work?
That is half the skill. Sections are lowered on ropes, not dropped, and boards protect the lawn where machinery has to cross. The aim is that the only thing missing afterwards is the tree.
Free quote
Tell us what you need doing
Send a message and we will get back to you. If it is easier, call us on 01242 820712.
- A fixed written price before any work starts
- No obligation, and no pushy follow-up calls
- A rough idea of the job is all we need to start