Firstly it sounds as if these trees were the wrong choice for a small garden when originally planted?
You have to live in your own environment and so I would say have them removed and see that they are recycled. You can look to plant something more fitting in their place.

I agree with DRC. I too would hate to remove large trees but they're clearly far too big for their position.

Get them removed and plant several small trres in their place or gift a gift to something like this

http://www.treeforall.org.uk/SupportUs/

There are plenty of othe tree planting organisations ... just Google.

I understand your feelings about it, but actually, you're not making the wrong decision by removing them. Everything has its time, and all things must pass, with or without a bit of help. Go ahead - just promise yourself you'll plant at least 2 other trees (albeit small ones) to compensate. Or 2 other very large shrubs, whatever suits. All plants absorb carbon, and careful choices could mean better resource for wildlife.

Maybe cut down one tree, and give the other one a "character pruning", to let in more light to your garden. Send all the wood and needles to a composting center, so some of the carbon will be recycled. Then carefully plan which shrubs and small trees to plant to fill out the landscape. If you apply compost regularly to the soil, this will also gradually sequester more and more carbon in the soil, and vastly improve your plants' health and vigor, as well.

I agree with Bamboo, we love our trees but sometimes you have to cut them down. Go ahead and cut them down and plant suitable smaller trees/shrubs.

We inherited trees in our garden when we moved here over 30 years ago. I had the tree surgeons remove 6.5 of them last year. They brought along a chipper and chipped everything but the larger trunks which they took away to use in making rustic garden accessories. If I had seen them before my trees came down I would have asked for the trunks to be cut into different lengths and left on site to use as bird baths etc. I am still using the chippings which we bagged up to allow them to rot down a bit. We go to a rally down in Luton every year. There are carved tree trunks in the park. Depending on the size of your trunks would it be possible to carve them and keep them. If they are totally removed a smaller tree would be a better choice in a small garden. An Amelanchier Canandensis is a good choice and maybe a rowan (Sorbus Aucuparia) .

I adore pines - but I certainly wouldn't recommend you leave them both there.
Either take them both out - or leave one if you must.

Think of how much better your garden will be once you've planted new things - which will then live their own lives in your garden.

I agree with the others - they were obviously planted in the wrong place so by cutting them down you will be giving other plants a chance to live. Once you have given the soil a feed afterwards you can go ahead and set some really lovely plants.

You could also ue some of the logs in your garden for the animals or as seats etc, so they would still be in your garden only in a different form.

We live in bracknell/bagshot nr chobham common which is heath land, so the soil is sandy and acidic as we are on the bagshot sands. We back onto scots pine plantation.

So there are many in this area and i imagine the trees where here before the houses. They are twice the height of the house so really large.

We are going to contact the council to confirm there's no TPO and i think we're going to go ahead and get it done today. Thanks for the words of reassurance.

If anyone lives in the area and wants some pine i can keep you some :)

Sometimes taking down trees which are too close to the house can have an affect on the foundations of your home so maybe a check with building control would reassure you about that. It has something to do with the moisture content before and after. A friend in Newcastle had a tree taken out of her front garden which was blocking light to her and her upstairs neighbours. Cracks appeared in the front wall of the house and the insurance company said it was to do with the tree being removed.

What Scotsgran says is true - its one of the reasons they leave mature trees in situ when doing new builds. However, it has much more impact on heavy clay soils, so where you are, it might not be an issue.

Just to let you all know. I removed the tree's today....they where much taller than i said, 140 ft both of them. Started at 8.30am and completely cleared by 7.30pm. I have many large dents in the grass which i will need to fix. On fence panel was damaged, which considering the confined space we had to work in was not bad imo.
The small beds and gravel i have in the garden have a fiar bit of sawdust which i've removed as much as possible and will dig in whats remaining. If you would like to i've posted a couple of before and after pics for you to look at, they should be on my profile page. I'll put the before up tonight and take the after tomorrow when its light. Thanks again for your replies.

Well done. I look forward to seeing what you do with your space.