The Bear Pit, Leeds

Treesaw was commissioned in July 2011 and in December 2014 to undertake tree and vegetation clearance works at the Bear Pit, Cardigan Road, Leeds. Built in 1840 the Bear Pit formed part of the historic Zoological gardens in Leeds. The bears were displayed in a circular pit on the far side of the outside wall and the public viewed them from the tops of the turrets accessed via a spiral staircase. The site was originally restored in 1966 and is now being preserved with the aim of re-opening it for educational purposes.

The Bear Pit itself was a 4 metre deep open pit and was situated near some of the trees to be felled. Following a risk assessment it was sectioned off completely using plastic traffic barriers to protect both the monument and stop employees working near this part of the monument from falling in.

Additional protection measures to safeguard the monument itself were employed by using manual rope and rigging techniques to carefully dismantle and lower trees to the ground.