What BLACKDOWN CONTRACTORS LIMITED does

Blackdown Contractors Limited, trading as Blackdown Tree & Countryside, is a privately held UK arboricultural services company founded in the early 1990s and based in Burlescombe near Tiverton, Devon. The company delivers tree surgery, grounds maintenance, site clearance, invasive species control, NPTC-accredited training, LOLER inspections, and downstream firewood and mulch sales to both commercial and domestic customers across Devon and Somerset, with nationwide mobilization capability for larger commercial projects.

The service portfolio is delivered through in-house qualified operatives and a fleet of specialized equipment including self-driven stump grinders, excavator-mounted grinder attachments, commercial wood chippers, MEWPs, flail and rotary scags, and Kubota ride-on mowers. The company emphasizes regulatory compliance with industry certifications (NPTC, IPAF, CIWM, ROLO, CITB, BS3998) and environmental responsibility through a 100% green waste recycling operation that converts timber into firewood and wood chip into mulch.

The business operates as a professional services organization with quote-based pricing, no published price list, and no obligation quotations. Go-to-market is direct-to-customer through phone, email, the company website, Facebook, regional SEO, and a Checkatrade listing. Customers are segmented into commercial buyers (insurance companies, facilities management firms, utilities, local authorities) served via enterprise field sales and nationwide mobilization, and domestic homeowners served via direct-to-consumer channels in the Mid Devon and Somerset catchment.

Name

BLACKDOWN CONTRACTORS LIMITED

Legal name

Blackdown Tree & Countryside

Website

https://blackdowntree.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Blackdown Contractors Limited (trading as Blackdown Tree & Countryside) is a Devon-based UK arboricultural services firm providing commercial and domestic tree surgery, grounds maintenance, invasive species control, NPTC training, and LOLER inspections across Devon, Somerset, and nationwide for commercial work.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arboricultural Services

NAICS

Site Preparation Contractors (23891), Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237990)

SIC

Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro primary industry

Tree Care & Arborist Services (IMAIAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tree Removal & Dismantling (HSAIADAB), Lot Clearing, Land Clearing & Brush Removal (HSAIADAH), Tree Care & Arborist Services (BPABADAD)

Keywords

• Tree surgery services
• Arboricultural contracting
• Grounds maintenance
• Invasive species control
• Tree surgery training

Headquarters

HQ city

Cullompton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Commercial Tree Work: Tree management and site clearance services for large and small corporations including insurance companies, facilities management, utilities and local authorities. Services include crane operations, MEWP work, stump removal, and chip disposal for biomass. Work is undertaken throughout the UK, traveling nationwide for larger commercial projects.
2. Domestic Tree Surgery: Tree surgery services for residential customers including tree felling, stump grinding, dead wooding, crown reductions, hedge trimming, and general tree management. Located between Tiverton, Cullompton and Wellington to serve local towns and villages.
3. Grounds Maintenance: Regular and one-off grounds maintenance operations for commercial and domestic clients throughout Devon and Somerset. Services include grass cutting, vegetation management, and site tidies.
4. Invasive Species Management: Specialist removal services for invasive species including Japanese Knotweed, Himalayan Balsam, Rhododendron, Giant Hogweed, and other harmful weeds. Uses stem injection or herbicide spray methods dependent on weed type.
5. Tree Surgery Training: NPTC City & Guilds assessments and training covering chainsaw units, climbing units, brush cutters, and wood chippers. Also includes LOLER inspections of climbing and rigging equipment.
6. LOLER Inspections: LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations) inspections of tree surgery climbing and rigging equipment including ropes, karabiners, and other lifting devices.
7. Firewood Sales: Timber is stored and dried before being processed for firewood sales. Wood chip is recycled as mulch for soil conditioning and weed suppressing.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Blackdown Contractors Limited (operating as Blackdown Tree & Countryside) is an arboricultural contracting firm delivering tree surgery, site clearance, grounds maintenance, invasive species management, tree surgery training, and LOLER equipment inspections. The company serves both commercial organisations (insurance companies, facilities management, utilities, local authorities) nationwide and domestic homeowners across Devon and Somerset, with 100% of green waste recycled into firewood and mulch.

Product overview

Blackdown Tree & Countryside operates as a single-service company offering integrated arboricultural and grounds maintenance services. The core portfolio consists of Commercial Tree Work, Domestic Tree Surgery, and Grounds Maintenance as the primary service lines, supplemented by specialist offerings including Invasive Species Management, Tree Surgery Training (NPTC City & Guilds assessments), and LOLER Inspections for climbing and rigging equipment. All services share common operational foundations in tree care and vegetation management, with the company recycling 100% of green waste into firewood and mulch products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Tree Work Tree management and site clearance services for large and small corporations, insurance companies, facilities management firms, utilities companies, and local authorities. Includes crane operations, MEWP work, stump removal (using self-driven stump grinders and excavator-mounted grinder attachments for sites with difficult access), and chip disposal for biomass. Delivered nationwide across the UK with logistics planning for machinery relocation.
• Domestic Tree Surgery Tree surgery services for residential properties in Mid Devon and Somerset. Covers tree felling, stump grinding (with complete or shallow removal options and backfill choices), dead wooding, crown reductions, hedge trimming, hedge planting, and general tree management. Booked by phone or email with free no-obligation quotations.
• Grounds Maintenance Regular and one-off grounds maintenance operations for commercial and domestic clients across Devon and Somerset. Includes grass cutting using flail and rotary scags suited to overgrown sites and areas inaccessible to larger machinery, Kubota ride-on mowers for large-area maintenance, vegetation clearance, and site tidies.
• Invasive Species Management Specialist control and removal of invasive non-native weeds including Japanese Knotweed, Himalayan Balsam, Rhododendron, Giant Hogweed, Common Ragwort, and Spear Thistle. Treatment methods include stem injection or herbicide spray depending on the species and site conditions.
• Tree Surgery Training NPTC City & Guilds assessments and training covering chainsaw units (maintenance, felling, cross-cutting), climbing units (aerial rescue, chainsaw use in a tree, advanced rigging), brush cutters, and wood chippers. Delivered with a student-to-trainer ratio that ensures one-on-one instructor time and is associated with high NPTC pass rates. Open to newcomers and seasoned professionals updating qualifications.
• LOLER Inspections LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations) inspections of tree surgery climbing and rigging equipment including ropes, karabiners, and other lifting devices. Performed by expert arborists familiar with the specific equipment used in the tree care industry. Pricing depends on the number of items, their condition, and whether prior inspections have been completed.
• Firewood and Wood Chip Products Timber generated from tree surgery work is stored and dried before being processed and sold as firewood. Wood chip is recycled as mulch for soil conditioning and weed suppression. These products are a byproduct of the company's green waste recycling programme.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of green waste recycled
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NPTC (National Proficiency Tests Council)coreOthersNPTC is a recognized awarding body for the horticulture and arboriculture industries. Blackdown Tree uses NPTC City & Guilds assessments for their training courses covering chainsaw units, climbing units, brush cutters, and wood chippers. High NPTC pass rates are cited as a key quality indicator.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• idverde: One of the UK's largest grounds maintenance and arboriculture providers, operating nationwide with municipal and commercial contracts. Overlaps with Blackdown on grounds maintenance, tree management, and invasive species work for local authorities and corporate clients, but at significantly greater scale.
• Bartlett Tree Experts: Global arboriculture firm with scientific tree care services, plant health care, and pruning. Comparable to Blackdown on domestic and commercial tree surgery, though larger and with deeper plant healthcare capability.
• Ground Control: Large UK grounds maintenance and vegetation management provider serving utilities, infrastructure operators, and commercial estates. Comparable to Blackdown on commercial tree management, site clearance, and grounds maintenance for utilities and FM clients, but with national infrastructure contracts.
• Nurture Landscapes: UK-wide grounds maintenance and landscaping contractor servicing commercial real estate, retail, and public sector. Overlaps with Blackdown's grounds maintenance and vegetation management lines, particularly for facilities management clients.

Direct peers

• Aspect Tree Services: UK arboricultural contractor offering tree surgery, site clearance, and grounds maintenance. Direct competitor to Blackdown in the South East/South West tree surgery and vegetation management market for both domestic and commercial clients.
• Profile Tree Services: UK-wide tree surgery contractor offering commercial and domestic arboricultural services. Directly comparable business model — tree felling, stump grinding, site clearance, and invasive species management for enterprise and residential customers.
• Jones Brothers Tree Services: UK arboricultural contractor with commercial and domestic tree surgery operations. Directly comparable on site clearance, tree surgery, and grounds maintenance services with similar insurance/utilities/local authority customer mix.
• Apex Tree Services: UK regional tree surgery and grounds maintenance contractor. Directly comparable on commercial site clearance, domestic tree surgery, and grounds maintenance offerings for insurance, utilities, and local authority clients.

Others

• Checkatrade: UK trades vetting and lead-generation platform on which Blackdown is listed. Ecosystem participant rather than competitor; influences customer acquisition economics for small UK trade contractors.
• NPTC (National Proficiency Tests Council): UK awarding body for arboriculture and horticulture qualifications. Training partner/certification backbone for Blackdown's training services and quality positioning in the industry.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Blackdown-Tree-and-Countryside-150302545637476

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BLACKDOWN CONTRACTORS LIMITED