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Ancient Trees Featured in ‘Game of Thrones’ Will Be Cut Down

TIMBER!

The tangled beeches in Northern Ireland are 250 years old and risk falling on tourists.

Workmen begin the operation to remove a number of trees in Northern Ireland’s famous Dark Hedges, featured on “Game of Thrones,” near Armoy in Co Antrim, Nov. 20, 2023.
Liam McBurney/PA Images/Getty

Six of the ancient beech trees featured in Game of Thrones are being chopped down out of fear that their falling branches could injure tourists who flock to the site. The Guardian reports that the 250-year-old trees line a road in Northern Ireland called the Dark Hedges, which stood in for the Kingsroad on the HBO series. “This decision has not been made lightly and whilst the amenity value afforded by the corridor of trees is acknowledged, the safety of road users is paramount,” the region’s department of infrastructure said in a statement.