Is Ivy killing this tree?

betsie

Have moved into a new house, there is an old sweet chestnut tree. It is covered in very thick old ivy and has lots of old dead bits on it.
We have recently lost several conifers in the high winds and wonder whether we should get this taken down at the same time as having the conifers removed as I am worried it is half dead.

I have attached 3 pics all the green you can see is ivy.

Farway

What may well be happening is the ivy, being evergreen, is allowing wind to have a sail, and that plus weight of ivy is breaking the branches

Just saw through the thick ivy branches at base of tree, then saw through again about a foot or so above first cut, pull those bits away [there will not be suckers there]

Then sit back a and wait a couple of years

You will find over the summer the ivy leaves gradually drop off, but do not attempt to pull any ivy off, it will have sucker & be Devil of a job, just let it die

One it is all dry & dead, maybe two years plus, it will come away easily

zaax

yes, and it looks like the tree is dying. Feed it with potash or bone meal and it might pull back.

Ectophile

Ivy doesn't actually kill trees, it just uses them for support. However, it seems to grow more rapidly up unhealthy trees, and then makes them top-heavy so they are more likely to fall.