Naked Trees.

[Bigbad]

I don’t know what else to call them.

I’ve seen a few recently on my travels. Some on private property, some by the side of the road.
They have no bark, and no leaves.
The only branches left are the lower, thickest ones, also stripped bare.

I really like them, but don’t have a clue why they’ve ended up like this. Anyone know?

[Buenchico]

Ash dieback is rapidly destroying the whole species across Europe:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/06/ash-dieback-expected-cost-british-economy-15bn

[Bigbad]

Thank you for your answer, Buenchico.
I have now looked up ash dieback, but although the articles describe what to look for, they don’t seem to say whether the affected trees are stripped, like the ones I’ve seen, or chopped down completely.

It;’s certainly a shame if disease is the reason, but I do like the look of them.
I think it’s the starkness that I like.

[Chipchopper]

Sounds to me like pollarded or lopped trees that naturally shed the outer bark, like: plane, eucalyptus etc.

[woofgang]

its the wrong time of the year to be pruning trees because of nesting birds.

[Chipchopper]

I don't know if or when they were pruned.

[woofgang]

but if pruned or pollarded, they should be shooting again now, not bare