Trees at Dark Hedges, ‘Game of Thrones’ filming location, to be cut down

SERIES – With its old trees and their crooked branches, the place seems imbued with magic. The Dark Hedges, literally the alley of dark hedges, may be lost in the middle of a small town in Northern Ireland, but it is no secret. The small road served as location at the Route Royale in the hit series Game Of Thrones. The alley was also the setting for a scene in the 2017 Transformers film.

Since their appearance at the end of season 1, the two rows of beech trees have attracted many fans on pilgrimageeager to follow in the footsteps ofArya Stark, as seen in the video above. But this natural cinema setting is fragile. Of the 150 trees planted around 1775, 86 remain today, which are almost 250 years old, older than the average age of beeches.

At least six of them pose a security problem and will be shot, as reported by Guardian. To prevent dead branches from falling on tourists, other trees will be reinforced.

The operation began Monday, November 20 and is scheduled to last four days, during which access to the location will be prohibited. The Save the Dark Hedges association, which works to preserve the place, was delighted with this intervention, which it has recommended for years.

Several beech trees had already been destroyed by storms between 2016 and 2021. The Dark Hedges Alley will reopen to the public once the felling is complete, with a few fewer trees but still just as much magic, and more security.

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