Two Acres

Hi all, Finally, i have some pics of the wood. They're on my desktop but I have no idea how to upload to this thread. Anyone help? Cheers

That would be my assumption too Teepeeat but others on the forum reckon not. I hope they're right and you and I are wrong

I hope you're right Woodguy. Its an interesting one. I'm not srure what the motivation would be to plant those trees in the first place. Whether the farmer would recieve a grant for the work or whether he'd be hoping for a harvest in due course I'm not sure. Kind of interetsing to know what would happen should you want your land back - maybe the trees could be felled before you got the land returned in a worst case scenario?

Its done, good luck

Thanks Spandit, Thats a positive sentiment - and if they don't feel inclined to do anything with the wood in 40 years then maybe their descendants will in 80 years time! My Dad doesn't have the slightest interest in the wood, hardly ever sets foot in it, but that isn't a problem, I can go play instead Hats's off to you for planting a wood by the way

Sounds great Ambisawrous - can we have some pics? I know I haven't done my own photos yet but they'll be coming soon

Sorry AHPP, I haven't got a source but I'm pretty sure I've read it somewhere. Probably worth 'Googleing'. I could be completely wrong of course. It would need advice from a legal type to clarify, and thats not cheap. Thanks for the vote of confidence in the thread - I've enjoyed it and got lots out of it too:thumbup:

Thanks for that Wood wasp, I think you're right. I grew up mucking about on farms - looking back we got up to some risky stuff. I remember making tunnels right through haystacks, digging 'caves', climbing across the roofs of barns, leaping off combine harvesters into piles of straw - basically all sorts of great fun that would give h&s types nightmares I guess that my three are too young for anything much but I do like to get them involved. At the moment we have to have a rota for whose turn it is to help me light the woodburner. They love screwing up the newspaper, cleaning the glass, putting the kindling in and so on. Obviously they don't light it yet, but they are keen. Most recent question from young Joel, as he watched me put a fresh log on top of some glowing embers, 'how does the fire break down the log Daddy?' ...ummm:confused1: I think thats great because it was the woodburner that got me interested in getting back outdoors and into the woods. I hope it will,do the same for them.

Trouble is the women aren't too keen on that system

Yep, you're right Village Idiot. The thought has crossed my mind, but the land is let to a farmer on a long term agreement. He's planted trees that adjoin the existing wood in two different areas. They're maybe 15 years old so the wood is growing:thumbup: I think legally the situation with those areas of land that I would own the land but the famer would own the trees hes planted There are also a couple of other areas of woodlland that join mine. I have wondered about investigating whether I could buy some of that land. Problem being that with three small children I don't have the spare cash to play with The best thing I think is that 'my' two acres don't exist in isolation, they are part of a bigger whole

Well, thats the age old problem with land isn't it. My Dad, whose in his early seventies, is now wanting to hand over his arable land to me and my sister (46 and 44). Trouble is his land is only twenty acres because the original 40 was divided between him and his sister. Doesn't take many generations before you end up with those weeny strips they had in the middle ages

Thanks for that Wood wasp, interesting. How about giving a 4.5 year old a little hatchet for making kindling, supervised of course. What do you think?

Yep, that helps - if your daughter is only just starting at 23 then my three will have to wait some time. Trying to keep a keen little lad away from the kit isn't all that easy I can tell you. Probably just as well I haven't let him near an axe come to think of it. We went to Cromer beach yesterday and he decided to try to outrun a wave that was considerably bigger than he thought it was. Ended up swimming in his coat, hat wellies, you get the picture My wife had to go but him some new clothes while he sat in his pants in the cafe Still no harm done and certainly no scars

Forgot to say that my kids have loved being involved with the firewood too. Stacking the split logs isn't cutting the mustard anymore though and my little lad (age 4.5) is desperate to see the chainsaw in action. When I've been logging I've shown him the saw (not working obviously) and he just can't believe the size of the pile of sawdust I've been wondering how young is too young to be able to safely use an axe to split a log - anyone have any thoughts?

Well I'm kind of the opposite of that in terms of attachment to the land. I grew up, bascially, on a small farm. Grandad owned it, we lived next door to the farmhouse and us kids had the run of 40 acres. My Dad didn't find working with Grandfather the easist thing to do so he got out of farming. As a kid I loved riding in a trailer behind the tractor sitting amongst the corn. Some of my fondest memories are of Grandad making me a popgun out of elder with acorn ammo (also a whistle out of hazel), just genius and far, far better than anything you could simply buy. For whatever reason I've never been able to go far from the farm, there seems to be some innate farmer in me still that refuses to get off his land:biggrin:

So you're a Suffolk boy, you should have said Probably my favourite part of the world and if it wasn't for all the roots I have up here I'd be living south of the Waveney myself. I've been to many events at Gressenhall but don't believe I've ever come across Felix, he sounds interesting

I agree with The Village Idiot, great post Woodguy, I'm beginning to understand the idea of being a 'custodian', I like that notion. With age I've also developed a respect for the work my Grandad did. To me its interesting that fifteen years after he died I can benefit from something he began maybe forty years ago. Again, if I chose to just leave the wood as it is then in another forty years my kids could go do something with it, it would still be there, possibly better than it is now. I like the idea of beginning something that will endure. When I get around to taking some pics you'll probably be surprised at the variation with a small wood. There are many different areas, each with their own distinct character. For example one area is very wet and boggy and planted with poplar, another very sandy and planted with pine, another close to inpenetrable blackthorn and so on. It really doesn't have an holistic identity, and I feel thats probably all to the good. I'm sure that you're right about developing an appreciation for ancient woodland. I've not sent much time in such places to be honest, so know very little. One thing I have enjoyed recently is lifting my kids up into the branches of the old oak thats on the edge of my wood. As a youngster I spent many happy hours nestled in between the three great branches that form a convienient 'seat' just above the trunk (apologies if my terminology is shoddy). They loved sitting there looking out over the valley to the big 'white house', just as I had. That experience made me realise that I've changed hugely over the past 35 years but the tree, not much at all. At least not much that I can see. That gives you a whole new perspective on time an makes the idea of 'owning' trees odd I feel. I've only really taken out one lodged birch so far but I have decided now to put down the chainsaw and do some research and thinking. Theres really no hurry and as has already been said, you can't put the trees back together.

Oh I see. It was an impressive sight then?

Evening Orkneyalan, Sorry I can't help with your request for logs but I 'm just thinking that you must get through one heck of a lot of firewood in a season in your part of the world? Also not many trees on Orkney I guess?

I'm with you now Timbernut , I've just begun reading Wildwood (great so far) and I've read Thurkettle's book (excellent). I've also met him and had a look at the wood he's a custodian of, its out Thetford way, Norfolk I'm pretty sure. My wifes's family are from Cumbria, so two or three times a year we drive back home from a trip up North. We go down the A1 and A17. If you arrive in Norfolk that way you travel through The Fens, which really is a landscape that is an aquired taste. Once you get past King's Lynn the countryside is much more varied than you'd imagine. I'm guessing you're not from this part of the world? In terms of East Anglia being a haven for writers that could be because we have a vibrant arts scene. I'm a photographer myself and my brother-in-law a wildlife artist, there are loads of us 'arty' types around here:001_smile:

Its an interesting thought cob-logging and JLA arborists.Would there be a cost involved in doing it?

Thanks for your post Wrsni, Good to hear that you think this is turning into one of the best threads on the site:thumbup: Also its interesting to hear the point of view from someone who is essentially in the opposite position to myself. There is a wood near to me at a mueseum of country life (Gressenhall). It was planted in 2000, I think, and I have to say when I went and looked at it I was surprised at just how much of a 'real' wood it has become in such a short space of time. I've seen demonstartions of charcoal making and the like from groups of volunteers who help out with managing it. I had no idea that a woodland could become as established as it is in such a short space of time (in tree time that is!). It seems to me that the other thing with planting trees is that its not a selfish act. The work that you do will benefit someone else way down the line, which has to be a wonderful thing. What I also like is the fact that 'my' wood has been untouched in fifteen years, and yet its just been happily doing its own thing all that time. Then whenever the inclination takes someone, like myself, its ready to be worked again, great:001_smile: Well done to you for planting you wood I wish you all the best with it. As you say one thing I have learnt is that there is no right or wrong, it has to be worked in a way thats right for whoever is doing it. It would be good to see some pics of your eight acres if you have any? Thanks again

Not sure I follow you Timbernut

I agree with you Mickdundee about hunting and I'd like to add otters to the list of pest species. I'm into my fishing and in my part of the world otters have been reintroduced. The rivers were full of fish, so the otter population boomed. Now lots of the big fish are gone, so the fishings not too good. In the past they had otter hunts to control the cute furry fellows for a very good reason.

Thanks for your post Paul in the woods, all useful stuff and much appreciated. I have been into a woodland that had some fencing around one area to keep out the deer and allow the saplings to grow. I was staggered to compare the inside of the fenced area, dense with growth, with the rest of the woodland, no undergrowth much at all.