Tree Surgeon in Richmond, North Yorkshire
Tree surgery in Richmond, Catterick Garrison, Brompton-on-Swale and the lower Swaledale villages. Steep-bank access assessed on site before a written quote.
Send the postcode, photos of the whole tree and its base, and a photo of how a vehicle reaches it. Slope and access decide the method here, so we would rather see them early.
What our customers say
“I was recommended Ross to cut down and trim a large conifer hedge.”
“He came out quickly after getting in contact to assess what needed doing and provide a quote.”
“Very professional and educated me what was the best way to do the job.”
“He was quick, efficient and did a great job of clearing away.”
“Will definitely be using again and recommending to others.”
- NPTC qualified
- LANTRA qualified
- £10M public liability insurance
- BS3998 standard
Tree surgery in Richmond and lower Swaledale
We carry out tree removal, pruning, stump grinding and hedge work for properties in Richmond and the villages along the lower Swale. The usual starting point is one specific problem: a sycamore leaning over a garage, an ash dropping limbs into a lane, a riverside willow that has split at the union, or a conifer row that has closed a garden in.
Tell us the postcode, what you want changed, and how a vehicle reaches the tree. Photos of the whole tree, its base and the access route help. A site assessment then confirms condition, method, permissions and the written scope before a date is booked.
Work we carry out around Richmond
- Tree removal and felling
- Straight felling where there’s a clear drop zone, or sectional dismantling where a wall, lane, outbuilding or boundary is close. See tree removal.
- Pruning and crown work
- Crown reduction, thinning, lifting and deadwood removal where keeping the tree is the right answer. See tree pruning.
- Ash dieback work
- Roadside and field-boundary ash is common on both sides of the river, and dieback changes whether the tree can be climbed at all. See ash dieback removal.
- Stumps, hedges and clearance
- Stumps ground below ground level where services and ground allow, hedge reductions and agreed boundary clearance. See stump grinding and hedge care.
Richmond geography changes the method more than the species does
The steep banks above the Swale
Richmond sits above a gorge. Between the castle and Hudswell the ground falls hard to the river, and a good number of gardens on that side end on the slope. Steep ground rules out a wheeled chipper and a tipper close to the tree, so timber gets rigged, lowered, cut small and carried out, or winched up to the nearest hard standing. That converts a plant cost into a labour cost, and it’s the main reason a Richmond quote differs from the same tree on flat ground.
Ash on the banks and in the hedge lines
Ash is everywhere on the limestone banks and in the boundaries running out towards Skeeby, Gilling West, Melsonby and Middleton Tyas. Ash dieback makes the wood brittle at the branch unions and unreliable to stand on, which is a climbing decision rather than a preference. Where a diseased ash shouldn’t be climbed we say so and quote a platform or a felled approach instead of sending someone up it.
Wind funnelled down the dale
Richmond takes the weather coming east out of Swaledale. The trees that give trouble are usually drawn-up ones that grew tall behind a wall and then lost their shelter when a neighbouring tree came down. Those need weight taken out of the top, staged, not a single heavy cut. Storm damage and hung-up limbs are handled through emergency tree work.
Garrison housing and rented property
Catterick Garrison, Catterick village and the estates around Colburn include a lot of service family accommodation and private rentals. If you don’t own the tree you can’t instruct work on it. We’ll assess and put the scope in writing so you can send it to the landlord, letting agent or housing provider, but the permission has to come back before we book a date.
Protected trees, conservation areas and nesting birds
Richmond is covered by North Yorkshire Council, which took over the functions of Richmondshire District Council and the county council in 2023. Tree Preservation Orders and conservation-area notices for Richmond and the surrounding villages go to North Yorkshire Council. This is one of the few parts of our patch that isn’t Durham County Council, and getting the authority wrong wastes six weeks.
The historic centre of Richmond is a conservation area, and several villages nearby carry their own designations. In a conservation area, work to a tree above the qualifying size needs a section 211 notice and a six-week period before cutting starts. A tree under a TPO needs a consent application. Neither makes the tree untouchable. It means the route has to be followed, and we check the address against the boundary rather than guess from the postcode.
Nesting birds are separate and apply everywhere, all year. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it is an offence to damage or destroy a nest while it is in use or being built. If we find an active nest we stop that part of the work and reschedule it.
What drives the price of a Richmond job
We quote per job after a site assessment. What actually moves the figure here is slope, carry distance, and whether a vehicle can get within reach of the tree at all. After that: entrance and gate width, the state of the track, tree size and species, condition, how much has to be lowered on ropes rather than dropped, waste volume, and whether a stump is being ground. Travel to Richmond from our County Durham base is priced into the day, so a single small job on its own costs more per tree than several trees on one visit. Anyone quoting a Richmond tree over the phone hasn’t seen the slope.
What isn’t included
Work outside the agreed trees isn’t included, and neither is work to a protected tree before consent is in place. Stump grinding and tree surveys are quoted separately unless the scope says otherwise. Fencing and landscaping repairs aren’t ours. Traffic management on an adopted road is priced separately where it’s needed. Commercial and estate work in North Yorkshire is handled through commercial tree surgery in North Yorkshire.
See how we carried out a staged conifer removal at a family home in the North East.
Areas we cover from Richmond
Brompton-on-Swale, Colburn, Catterick village, Catterick Garrison, Scorton, Skeeby, Hudswell, Marske, Downholme, Gilling West, Whashton, Ravensworth, Kirby Hill, Melsonby, Middleton Tyas, Aldbrough St John, Barton, and up Swaledale towards Reeth. Send the postcode and we’ll confirm it rather than assert coverage we haven’t checked. See areas we cover.
How the quote works
- Send details. Postcode, photos, access route and what you want changed.
- Assess the site. We confirm condition, slope, hazards, permissions and the practical method.
- Receive a written quote. Scope, waste handling, stump treatment and exclusions in writing.
- Complete and clear. Agreed work carried out and agreed arisings removed.
Qualifications and cover. NPTC and LANTRA qualified. Constructionline Gold certified. £10M public liability insurance. Site-specific risk assessment and method statement. Written quote before work begins.
What customers ask
Common questions
Do you cover Richmond and North Yorkshire?
Yes, we cover Richmond and the lower Swaledale villages as well as County Durham. Send your postcode and we’ll confirm availability in your area. Any travel cost is included in the quote.
Who do I apply to for a protected tree in Richmond?
North Yorkshire Council. It took over from Richmondshire District Council in 2023. A conservation-area tree needs a section 211 notice with a six-week period; a tree under a Tree Preservation Order needs a consent application. We check the address and tell you which route applies before booking.
My garden drops down towards the river. Can you still work on it?
Usually yes, but the method changes. On steep bank ground we climb and rig rather than bring machinery to the tree, then cut the timber small and carry or winch it out. It takes longer than the same tree on the flat, which is why we want to see the slope before quoting.
I live in service family accommodation at Catterick Garrison. Can I book tree work?
Not on your own. If you don’t own the tree, the landlord or housing provider has to give permission. We’ll assess it and give you the scope in writing to send on, and we’ll hold the date until permission comes back.
Can you deal with a dangerous ash on a Richmond lane?
Send photos if it is safe to take them and tell us whether it overhangs a road or a right of way. Dieback makes ash unreliable to climb, so the method may be a platform or a felled approach. If the highway is affected we agree the controls and who is responsible before the date.
Need a tree surgeon in Richmond?
Send the postcode, photos of the whole tree and its base, and a photo of how a vehicle reaches it. Slope and access decide the method here, so we would rather see them early.