January 17, 2025

We have started 2025 with some heavy work in the woodlands…
Each section of the woodland has a different character and requires managing in a different way.
One section is a 19th century plantation, planted as Coppice with Standards. This means an understory of hazel that would have been cut at roughly 7 year intervals, the straight stems being useful for things like building and sheep hurdles. The Standards are the trees allowed to mature for timber. In this case mainly Oaks, chestnut and Ash.
It has been very rewarding to be able to get in to this part of the wood and if we are successful we can ensure that it remains a healthy woodland valuable for both wildlife and the timber it produces (two sides of the same coin).
The Hazel stools have been protected from browsing by fences and will be allowed to regrow, in place of the Sycamore we will plant Oak, Chestnut, Hornbeam and Beech. Many of which we have grown from seed or roadside saplings.
The work, somewhat counter-intuitively, involved removing lots of smaller trees.
To be able to grow the next crop of Standards we needed more light to reach the woodland floor.
This has been achieved by re-coppicing a good proportion of the Hazels and removing lots of self-seeded sycamores.

These will be planted in the early spring.
The piles of woodchip created from the brash will be used to mulch the planted saplings.
A team of 9 achieved a great deal, here are some of them enjoying a well deserved cup of tea!
