Of course the easiest way to establish coppice is to fell existing trees but it is entirely possible to use transplants however, this should be seen as a longer term project. This method requires careful spacing to avoid excessive shade forming over the coppice and stunting growth. ‘Coppicing with standards’ refers to coppice grown in the same area as full size trees – popular in olden times to achieve the widest range of timber from an area. Pure and mixed coppice, as you may deduce, is where single or mixed varieties of trees are coppiced depending on the use of the final product required. There are several different ways of producing coppice all of which have environmental advantages. While these industries have largely died out there are still several small-scale producers that maintain coppices for these purposes. Two major industries that were supported by coppicing originally were charcoal making – which was essential for metal smelting before coal became a more viable option – and thatching which relied on coppiced woods for spars (the pins for attaching thatch) and binding rods. Large scale coppicing is now rare and the only commercial coppicing operation left in the country consists almost entirely of sweet chestnut which is used extensively in the fencing industry. Depending on the final use, other popular varieties for coppicing (including hornbeam, willow, beech, lime and oak) would be harvested at different intervals of anything up to 25 years or, occasionally, more. Traditionally hazel and ash were popular as they produced quick growing material for fences, hurdles and firewood that would be harvested every five to 10 years. Wood from the copse could be used for fuel, fodder and building and crafting materials but, more than this, it also provided an ever changing environment that was useful in maintaining the biodiversity of an area. Until fairly recent times all farms and smallholdings would have maintained an area of coppice, or copse as it is more traditionally spelt, for the essential raw materials they provided. The practice works because, when felled close to the ground leaving just the established root system and stump (know as a coppice stool), many varieties of tree will produce multiple, quick growing, shoots. Also firewood and charcoal and coppice management services.Coppicing is a woodland management technique used to produce a plentiful and manageable supply of young wood, timber or poles. For anyone wanting to come and have a look at what we make, we always welcome visits (by prior arrangement, to make sure that we are actually here), or we can be found demonstrating at a number of shows in the west-country during the summer months (have a look at the Courses and Shows page). These cutting expeditions will probably decline in years to come as the hazel at Westonbirt improves, but at the moment it gives us a third area to market our products into. We also still cut hazel in Hampshire where there remain good supplies of well-managed coppice, bringing the rods back to Stroud to be made up into hurdles. Oak butts into timber-framing branchwood and thinnings into firewood low grade coppice into bean poles, pea sticks and faggots, and the better quality stuff into hurdles. I am also selling firewood for the first time in an attempt to use everything that comes out of the coppice restoration programme. The timber-framing interest has shifted sideways to sawn oak in response to the lack of coppiced oak and the availability of larger butts from the Arboretum. When I moved down to North Devon, I started to look more at the local coppice materials (good quality hazel being hard to find down there) and began working with oak coppice and the building of small round-timber framed garden structures. Initially, my career as a coppice worker revolved almost entirely around hurdles and charcoal, but after a couple of seasons I dropped the charcoal burning and concentrated on the ‘cleaner’ crafts, expanding my repertoire to include gate-hurdles, post-and-rail fencing, wooden rakes, beesom brooms, tent pegs, shingles and laths: in fact, virtually anything that can be made from cleft and unseasoned wood. In 2000 I moved down to rural north Devon and remained there until early 2008. In both occupations I was able to work on my craft skills and, eventually, started doing demonstrations myself and then selling as a side-line and, eventually, running courses.Īfter some twelve years in forestry I decided to make the sideways leap into hurdle-making and became a full-time coppice worker in association with the Pang Valley Countryside Project in Berkshire. A number of years paid work in nature conservation in and around Oxford followed before I moved into full-time forestry.
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