Paul in the woods

There may be rules but that doesn't mean they are followed. Farm slurry should be injected but old equipment can still be used to spray it so that's what's done round here. The sewage sludge has most of the water removed and is dumped in piles on the fields for a month or two. It's then spread using the same trailers that spread rotted manure, so just thrown out the back. It's mainly done before planting crops, such as forage beet but I've seen it spread on grass. (Obviously animals are not put in the fields immediately afterwards but I think it's only kept animal free for a month or two). There is plenty dragged onto the roads etc so possibilities of cross contamination.

Looks like galls of some sort.

One of Ben Law's books might be useful as he started out with overstood chestnut coppice iirc. It might be worth trying to contact him via his wife to see which of his books would be best and to see if he could offer advice?

We have a couple of acres of very rough pasture that could provide a feedstock. I also wonder about all the waste silage that's left to rot in the farms around here. There's a few wrapped bales rotting just down the road. As for the human waste, no mains sewers round here, or water, or gas. Some of the locals still look surprised when you turn on a light... The fields are frequently spread with sewage sludge which gets washed off into the streams and out to sea. I don't think I'd be causing any problem with a little domestic spreadding.

I've always thought it would make sense to recycle human waste via composting and then on to young trees, so human waste. II gather that may not produce much gas though but I can source an endless supply of cow manure, if I could be sure that was free from aminopyralid type weed killers that would be ideal. Actually, I think wood backed up with solar for autumn/spring/summer use seems our best bet. Hydro more of a long term prospect for when I get fed up with processing firewood.

Thank you for your reply, I've not ignored your reply it but been spending most of my free time sorting out a good supply of firewood. I know what you mean about this time of year being low flow season, it's not really rained here for well over a month. Stream still has a decent flow. The problem I have is that I don't own both sides of the bank, I think it would be possible to get permission from the other land owner but that would make things official and I'd just get bogged down in bureaucracy. Perhaps one day I'll go down that route. I had wondered if I could extract water via a pipe, run a pipe down the hill to a turbine and then put the water back. But the stream has about 1m steep sided high banks which will make that difficult. Another problem is the 1m deep 'ravine' can fill and overflow when we get a decent spell of rain so I don't think it would be wise to have any turbine right in the stream bed. Also wondering about some form of biodigester to make some biogas.

I'd be interested to see the moisture meter bit, to see that you're made it clear that the meters the public are likely to use will measure on a dry basis whereas the woodsure scheme is wet. I also agree with the comments on almond, not heard of it used in the UK whereas I understood hornbeam was widely used, certainly more common than almond. I tend to be in the 'it'll burn ok if dry camp.'

Looks like unopened flower buds of an apple, possibly a crab apple.

Unless the owners specifically asked about the trees I doubt any claim against the previous owners would get any where. When I've sold both the estate agent and the solicitor have been very reluctant to pass on any comments I've had about the property.

I was going to ask if running smokeless coal overnight would be any cheaper than gas, even after the gas price rises as I expect coal price rises as well. I've recently had to use a few bags of smokeless brickets and they were terrible - didn't last long and didn't give out much heat. As it seems you don't have to change anything worth trying a bag of two before stocking up.

In the UK we have a government organisation call the Forestry Commission that has produced various leaflets, books and PDFs. Unfortunately it's been restructured and many of the links I've got don't work any more and I find it much harder to find stuff. The research arm are now called Forest Research. This book might help, I've not seen a copy but thought I saw a PDF ages ago: https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/research/the-silviculture-and-management-of-coppice-woodlands/ A different view might be Ben Law's "A Woodland Way", there's a couple of chapters about planning and planting in there but far more on making use of woodland products.

The question for me is what is the cost of your time vs cost to grind?

Yes, I expect the base fuel is all very similar, just the oil different. I tend to use Motomix now as it's easier to get hold of, when my local Stihl dealer has it in stock that is.

https://blog.stihl.co.uk/6-reasons-stihl-motomix-fuel/

Thanks Jules, I hope it is that simple. (I've found the government guidance and it does seem to be). https://www.gov.uk/guidance/guidance-on-access-agreements But, I don't understand the letter I received and the attitude of the contractors involved. I've received a letter informing me of a pole 'near' me and a blob on the map covering part of my woodland including my access gate. If the pole isn't on my land I don't see why I was sent a letter and if it is on my land I don't know why they've not mentioned wayleave. I have found out it's to serve another property. Anyway, I have emailed back and contacted the council dept in charge of this work saying I do not authorise any poles on my land until I agree a location. I'll see what happens.

Head anything up to about 20m from the highest bit of the stream I own to the lowest, but in reality I'd use much less. Flow, I've no idea but I would not wade across the stream when it's in full flow and it moves quite large tree trunks. No fish to worry about. What appeals to me most is the stream is often in full flood when I need the energy most in winter and it's 24/7 week in week out, unlike solar and wind.

Yes, I've had some dealings in the past hence trying to sort this before anything stupid is done. The link does suggest they must ask permission so I'll go with that.

I'm trying, I only have an email address and they just send a generic unhelpful reply.

I receive a wayleave payment for an electricity pole, although it's only a couple of quid so I've never bothered cashing the cheque. But I gather the laws are different with telegraph poles so I don't know how the wayleave would work with them. I had thought about felling the pole but I gather it's a criminal offence to tamper with telecoms, even a pole slapped without permission in the middle of your garden. Blocking access is not possible as access will be gained from the road and I don't know where they plan to stick it. Annoyingly I'm more than happy to have it if it's in a sensible place.

Yes, I've seen some of his videos although I'm more after an off-the-peg solution. When I first started looking I naively thought someone like CAT would sell or recommend a tried and tested range of turbines. For that matter it would seem more logical if the government did just hand over grants but could offer advice and some tried and tested solutions for people.

Thanks for the link. Do you know of any other similar fora? I want to install a hydro-turbine as I have access to a stream with a good flow (it used to have water mills on it decades ago). I'd like to start off with something small (500w) to see if it would be worth investing in something larger. Although I can find turbines for sale I'd like some guidance on what to go for, some of the turbines I've seen for sale don't fill me with confidence they'll work or last long.

Yes, I've seen that thanks and a few others but it says "tend to require prior permission via a legal wayleave agreement" rather than "must require". I expect in my case they will require it but will behave like they don't.

That is my understanding, I would assume I should be contacted and a wayleave arranged before the pole is erected if the pole serves another property (which it will do). Now I'm not interested in any payment but would expect to at least be consulted. The contractors don't seem to think this is necessary. (They're not BT Open Reach which may not help).

Thanks for the replies. The pole is the result of the roll out of fibre in the area and is being driven by the county council. The problem I'm having is that the contractor is behaving like they have the right to put poles wherever they fancy and I expect the council will take the same approach. I have told them they can't put a pole on my land without my permission but I expect they will just ignore me. Hence asking if anyone actually knows the law. As with most telecoms problems, I will try and catch the people doing the work and sort it out with them but I can't always be around the place. A land agent sounds an expensive option although I might look into this for another patch of land.

Does anyone know the law around the insertion of new telegraph poles? I.e. if one is to be inserted on private land does the owner of the pole need to seek permission from the owner of the land? This pole is not to supply my property. I ask as I've received a letter informing me of the intention to insert a pole on/near my land. I don't have an objection in principle but I would like to agree where it's sited. Unfortunately the contractors doing the work don't seem competent - I've been given two different types of co-ordinates which don't match and one has the pole being erected right in the middle of a neighbouring house. I'm concerned they'll site the pole too close to a gate as to block access or possibly too close to a tree that needs taking out. I've tried contacting the contractors a few times but they are rude and unhelpful and just ignore the question.