STIHL Treetop Walkway: the legs have arrived!

Almost all of the foundations are now in place ready for the legs to be craned into position. Each pair of legs has a foundation which provides stability and a firm base for the Walkway.

This photo shows one of the completed foundations. A galvanised steel plate will sit on top of each foundation; this will be held in position by the four very large bolts and nuts. So large that the contractors have struggled to find a local supplier with a large enough spanner!

All of the foundations are different even for a pair of legs, this allows for the undulating ground levels and will provide extra support for the exciting features along the walkway. The photo below shows two of the foundations for crow’s nest where there will be extra legs supporting the cantilevered staircase.

We’ve reached an exciting stage; the first delivery of timber legs has arrived from Holland!

The deliveries have been carefully planned to ensure the legs arrive unscathed. This is an image showing how each leg will be positioned in the lorry so each leg is protected from the lorry and from each other.

The legs are carefully lifted from the lorry one by one. Due to their size they are walked in to ensure they don’t swing and catch on anything as they are moved! The legs will be temporarily stored until they are ready to be craned into their final position.

The first few legs will be lifted into position in the next few weeks once the plates are in position and the steel sections have arrived. A very large crane will be moving in to complete the first section along with other construction vehicles and materials.

Thank you for bearing with us whilst we create this exciting new experience and for placing your dogs on leads through the construction zone. It’s really appreciated and helps us and our contractors build the Walkway as safely and as quickly as possible. There will be some disruption and temporary footpath closures in the coming months. Sorry for any inconvenience but it will be worth it once you’re up high and enjoying be closer to the trees!