An Idiot's guide to Ancient Woodland management

[eggsarascal]

I did mention it in another thread recently, I'd love to come over in the truck next spring for a mooch about. I'll pack the BBQ and supply beer.

[the village idiot]

3 minutes ago, Woodworks said:

Great thread TVI

 

Was this the ash cut for hurleys? 

Spot on Beau.

 

I jumped the gun a bit with that series of photo's.

 

That Valtra is being driven by another Arbtalk clansman. All will be revealed.

 

Quite a few Arbtalkers will pop up in this story. This forum has been a pretty big player in my progress at the Wood.

 

 

[the village idiot]

8 minutes ago, eggsarascal said:

I did mention it in another thread recently, I'd love to come over in the truck next spring for a mooch about. I'll pack the BBQ and supply beer.

In that case you are even more welcome!

[Andyd1606]

Great find Andy.
 
That first picture pretty clearly shows the concrete road network.
 
Thanks for posting.

There was about 30 pictures of the airfield and it’s buildings and an interesting article about the squadron that were based there.
Have you found any interesting articles whilst working there I’m just looking at the location of the ammo dump and road network. I’d love to run my metal detector around I’m sure theres plenty underground!

[Bolt]

5 star thread.

 

Proper little gold ones an' all.

[the village idiot]

12 minutes ago, Andyd1606 said:

There was about 30 pictures of the airfield and it’s buildings and an interesting article about the squadron that were based there.
Have you found any interesting articles whilst working there I’m just looking at the location of the ammo dump and road network. I’d love to run my metal detector around I’m sure theres plenty underground!

We do come across some wartime bits and pieces on occasion but no spectacular finds.

 

You'd be welcome to do some metal detecting if you'd like. You know where we are.

 

If you find my tree jack there'll be a purely platonic big manly cuddle in it for you!

[eggsarascal]

1 minute ago, the village idiot said:

 

 

If you find my tree jack there'll be a purely platonic big manly cuddle in it for you!

You could charm birds from the trees.

[Andyd1606]

We do come across some wartime bits and pieces on occasion but no spectacular finds.
 
You'd be welcome to do some metal detecting if you'd like. You know where we are.
 
If you find my tree jack there'll be a purely platonic big manly cuddle in it for you!

Id happily spend some time trying to find your tree jack if you have an area where you think it could be especially if there’s a cuddle as a prize!

I’ll contact in the new year I’m manic on the run up to Xmas and I’ll arrange to pop down and have a scan around for you

[the village idiot]

LET THERE BE LIGHT.

 

My first practical job in the Wood was to thin out the Norway Spruce and Corsican Pine from the central section of area 3 on the map below.

 

 

This block had been planted up with quite nice Oak with the conifers as a nurse crop. A nurse crop is a largely sacrificial planting put in to help draw the main crop up in its formative years in the hope that is achieves good form.

 

The Conifers were now so large that they were starting to out compete the Oaks so they needed to go. They also needed removing to provide access deeper into the Wood for a tree harvester that was coming in to clearfell one of the two remaining dense blocks of pure conifer.

 

This was a nice 'starter' for me. Conifers are relatively easy to fell, they tend to behave themselves reasonably well, and I didn't have to worry too much about where they came down which was very handy as an embarrassingly high percentage descended 180 degrees off optimum. 

 

It was during this job that I performed my first rendition of the 'two saws stuck in one tree trick'. Back cutting a sizeable spruce with a blunt silky does not come highly recommended!

 

My main issue with this first foray into the trees was that I was not accumulating stems of any great value. Most of the arisings ended up as Swedish candles which I managed to sell wholesale. My takings didn't break the bank, but it was an important first lesson in finding a market for what needs to come out, whatever it happens to be.

The alternative is cherry picking the trees that will achieve best profits at any given time, and this is not how I wished to proceed.

 

I haven't got many pictures from these first few weeks but managed to find a few.

 

Here is a couple of candles at full blast:

 

 

 

A rocket propelled Kelly kettle:

 

 

 

And your's truly warming his hands in his armpits, pretending to know what he's talking about to a visit from the Small Woods Association. You can see my friend Jacob standing on one of the felled nurse conifers with the young Oaks to the sides.

 

 

 

 

[the village idiot]

35 minutes ago, Andyd1606 said:

 

Id happily spend some time trying to find your tree jack if you have an area where you think it could be especially if there’s a cuddle as a prize!

I’ll contact in the new year I’m manic on the run up to Xmas and I’ll arrange to pop down and have a scan around for you

 

It's somewhere in the Wood.

 

Probably best if you search for treasure, the tree jack would just be a very nice bonus.