Willow trees chopped down in Milton Keynes to produce world class cricket bats

Every year The Parks Trust plants more than 150 special Willow Trees that are grown solely for commercial use.

Once the trees reach maturity – in around 20 to 25 years - they are felled and the timber is sold to manufacturers . The income from them helps the Trust to maintain and develop the city's 6,000 acres of parkland and green spaces.

The trees are a man-made strain of hybrid Willow that was derived from the White Willow (Salix alba).

"This is the only strain of cricket bat Willow and was originally created to grow the best timber quality for bat characteristics. This species of tree grows quickly to produce an even grain and a good weight, whilst also being strong and durable when made into bats,” said a spokesman for The Parks Trust.

The trunk of the tree has to reach an optimal diameter to be used for cricket bats. Every year, during October, a selection of Willow trees are measured, selected and chopped down.

Whenever possible they are felled from the base as this maximises the useable timber, say the Trust experts.

"However due to the locations of some of the trees within our parkland, a safe dismantle is the only viable option. This involves an expert team to climb the trees and fell them from height,” said the spokesman.

Some of the wood is sold to UK companies such as Kippax Willow Ltd and Surridge Sport while the remainder is shipped to India.

The manufacturers begin by turning the main stem of the tree into rounds. From here the rounds are split into clefts and these are then dried to 10% moisture before being graded, waxed and stored. The timber is then worked by hand into recognisable bats

You can watch the process in a video here.

The completed products are sold internationally and used by some of the top teams across the globe.

Any parts of the felled Willow trees that are not sold for bats are chipped by the Trust into mulch. This is the used to resurface the bridleways and leisure routes throughout city woodlands and parks.