The view in the direction of Keswick Mill from Eaton Common and the nearby bridleway has changed dramatically in the last day or so as a result of tree felling of Cricket Bat Willow (Salix alba caerulea). After 15 years of growth the time has come to crop the trees and turn them into cricket bats.
The willows mature relatively quickly in the marshy land and there has been a commercially viable market for the wood. It is expected the plantation, which is on private land, will be quickly replanted to produce another crop in 15 or 16 years. The trees must be checked twice a year, and any side shoots removed. This keeps the main stem of the tree free from knots, and so suitable for making cricket bats.