A North Farnham community has showed its cutting edge by turning a felled oak tree into the town’s newest piece of public art.

Many people around Heath End were upset when an oak tree on the corner of East Avenue and South Avenue was controversially felled amid concerns about subsidence.

But sadness has been turned into joy as a chainsaw artist has turned the stump into “something beautiful” following a fundraising campaign.

The commissioning was like a homecoming for Ella Fielding as the chainsaw artist of 20 years did her Masters in Sculpture at UCA Farnham.

She’s carved a fox and two little owls into the two-metre stump – left by the council at the request of residents – to turn a neighbourhood loss into something eye-catching.

“I’ve been told a lot of people worked really hard to save the tree as it has been here a long time,” said Ella.

“Trees do inspire people’s imagination. If you walk past a tree stump you don’t get an impression, but if you do something like this, then it becomes inspiring.

“There’s always challenges doing a job like this, and there are always nails to find, but it’s nothing when you consider the joys of getting to create something like this.”

People around The Avenues raised around £2,000 towards the community project with the idea of commissioning a chainsaw artist first being touted in late spring.

Emma and Mark Johnson were among the residents involved and hope the results will be a “fitting memorial”.

“It was a beautiful tree and none of us wanted it to go,” said Emma.

“Hopefully we’ve produced something beautiful and happy. We hope this will leave a fitting memorial and be something pleasing for residents to see.”

For more of Ella’s work look for @ella.fielding.sculptor on Instagram.