A GIANT line of conifer trees which obscure a 700-year-old historic view are facing the chop after a church was given permission to cut them down.

The parochial council of St John the Baptist Church in Ruardean applied for permission to remove the conifers, to reopen the medieval view to the remains of the former castle.

Historic England backed the scheme, with Inspector of Ancient Monuments, Melanie Barge, saying: “The conifers lie between the Grade II-listed church and the remains of Ruardean Castle, a scheduled ancient monument and currently restrict views between the two highly designated assets.”

She said the church and castle would have acted as focal points in the community and as large stone buildings would have “dominated the local communitites, reminding the local population of their allegiance to their lord or to God.”