Two Acres

Thanks Little Butch, I may take you up on the offer if I need some help - you won't be wanting to talk about the football though will you?

Thanks for the advice Lucan - it is remote as far as that goes in this part of the world. I am thinking that some kind of hut/shed for brewing tea and enjoying the wood would be great for us and the kids. Thing is do you reckon it would be safe or could it be broken in to/vandalised? Last summer some cheeky so-and-so had set up a little cannabis plant nursery in a clearing - had to have the police out to check it out and smash it up You never know who is making themselves at home.

Thaks for that Countryboy - I don't think I'll be getting a management plan or a grant then by the sound of things!

Many thanks for the advice Woodworm. I think what you're saying about widlife and forestry working perfectly well in harmony is what I want to achieve, surely that can't be too difficult? My opinion is that its just a question of joined up thinking, sadly that doesn't seem to happen much these days. One previous experience I've had is on the stretch of river where I go fishing the Environment Agency and anging organisation reshaped the river. That included planting some willows. Then, a few years afterwards , the local farmer pulled them all out again - one mans fishery is another mans drain!

Thats a good point well made Arbmark. By 'neglected' I mean completely untouched by human hand for at least fifteen years (that is other than folks walking through occasionally). The wood is certainly supporting a diverse range of wildlife - just the other day I saw a barn owl hunting and theres evidence of all sorts of other activity. My brother-in-law is a wildlife artist and naturalist so that side of things is something I'm aware of and not something I want to ignore long term. I think we're at the point where choices need to be made though, e.g. fell some or all of the leylandii to allow space for the sycamore that are being crowded out. If I don't make any decisions then some trees will be lost anyway and maybe they won't be the ones that would be best sacrificed. My firewood needs are pretty low, about three neatly stacked cube a year, so I don't think pulling out that qunatity of wood should impact the wildlife? maybe I'm wrong?

This is all new to me Hiluxstihl. Last summer me and a mate pulled out a big birch that had blown over and become lodged in another tree. Access to the wood is tricky, most of the year its on foot accross a field, but when the field is harvested I have permission from the farmer to drive over the stubble. We used a Landrover with trailer and got that to the edge of the wood. Then we humped rounds to the trailer, split them in the field and threw them in the trailer. Six hours work gave us a trailer load each, about half a years firewood for me. We're both happy with hard work in the woods, so no real problem, but I have been thinking that I may need a quad or some other solution long term! I just don't have much cash to spend on what for me is really just a hobby

Yes, there are a few bits of good size stuff that must be a good six inches diameter. If they'll make good firewood I'll put up with the spikes

You'll have to give me a little time on that one Sandspider - I'll take some pics when i next go

Countryboy - thanks for the reply. Do you mind me asking what kind of cost was involved in putting together the management plan? Alec - thanks for taking the time to write that advice down, much appreciated. I've been taking another look this afternoon to weigh up what I've got. Its not all coppice. Theres 50 plus Leylandii in two rows, about ten inch diameter on average I guess. Then 40 plus poplar, the biggest of which me and my daughter can just touch fingertips when wrapping our arms around it from opposite sides (I'm 6 feet tall, shes 6 years old). Then theres two groups of ash, maybe 25 trees in total, around 12 inch diameter at a guess. A group of about ten beech, again maybe 12 inch diameter, perhaps bigger. Plenty of young oaks around 8 inch maybe. A good few Birch maybe 12 inch diameter. Some dead standing Elm, (one big one), Some wild cherry and also some very tall thin Sycamores that are trying to outcompete the Leylandi for light. Also some randoms, the odd field maple etc. I reckon there are maybe 25 coppiced hazel of various sizes. Lots of scrubby blackthorn plus some thick tree type ones. Ideally I'd make it a hobby that pays for itself and keeps my house warm for free into the bargain!

Yes, very lucky. My Grandad spent his retirement turning a couple of meadows into woodland. When I was a teenager I had no idea why he spent all his time in the woods. Now I'm a middle-aged grumpy git I'm sharpening my axe!

Will do. Thanks for the advice Stubby, much appreciated

Thats a shame! Would you coppice all in one go or in rotation?

Norfolk

Hi All, first post so go easy! I have access to a couple of acres of neglected woods, owned by my family, but only myself interested in it. Its not been touched in twenty years until I started working on it last summer. I've removed some lodged trees and cleared some paths but am cautious of doing much more without advice. The trees in the wood are pretty mixed - areas of Scots, Poplar, Leylandi, oak, ash, beech, coppiced hazel along with random silver birch and sycamore, plus a lot of blackthorn. The land is on the side of a valley, sandy at the top end in parts, boggy at the bottom. Question is what next? I'm thinking fell the Leylandi and coppice the hazel? The overall idea is to provide me with a constant supply of firewood, encourage wildlife and make the wood a place my three small kids can enjoy. What do you think? Cheers