Beech Trees at risk

Looks like Foot Rot to me Pal.

 

Thats a nice big one Pal, :D
Bet its got a few years to go yet, having said that last winter a couple of beech trees were blown down near me. The whole trunks of both trees shattered and the wood inside was completely rotten right through, you could just tear it apart with your bare hands, they must have been rotting away inside for years.
Not very rot resistant beech.

 

Looks like this to me

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0901/bracket_fungi.asp