Fencing Off Woodland

[RobinB]

Hi Tracey and Catweazle,

Many thanks for your replies.

Being close to home is certainly good advice, thanks Tracey. As I work full-time, I would only have week-ends to attend to the woodland. A one to one-and-a-half hour drive from home is certainly far more practical and palatable than a three hour plus haul early on a Saturday morning!

Thanks, Catweazle, for your reply. And you are quite right, I am looking at Kent, Surrey and Sussex. I read with great interest your reply explaining the income potential of some areas of woodland. I'd never considered that I could actually see a return on my investment in a woodland. This opens up an entirely new world of possibilities. However, as you suggested in your reply, there appears to be a common practice now in dividing up larger areas of woodlands into smaller pieces. I have found that 90% of woodlands for sale throughout the country fall into the <10 acres category; impractical acreage for commercial purposes, I'd imagine.

Your replies have provided me with some excellent information, vital in assisting with my choice of purchase, for which you again have my thanks. It also appears that I have much more to consider than I first thought! The leisure and pleasure aspect of owning and maintaining a woodland was, initially, my only focus, but the potential of deriving an income from it too has introduced additional variables well worth considering.

I will continue my research and let you all know how I get on.

With thanks and best wishes,

Robin

[tracy]

Glad to help Robin!

There is no reason that your initial plan to relax and enjoy nature cannot go with making a little bit of money. When managing a coppice woodland, one generally (but not always) will coppice it. This will greatly improve the diversity of the wood by letting light in to the ground, varying the age of trees and allowing some regeneration of a wider range of species.

Then, you can sell some of the timber! You make the greatest return on your investment if you have a wood burning stove and cut your own heating bills. Mike and I though, have had no shortage of local firewood and allotment pole customers. We don't make millions, not even thousands, but it is great to see local timber being used, while the woodland is improved.

Take a look at our other site www.coppice.co.uk

It might offer even more thoughts!

Larger woodlands would usually require hiring others to do the work- so that depends on what you want. We love doing the work ourselves where possible. It is enjoyable and keeps the costs down. It also means that the wood is treated exactly how you want it. Employing others brings an element of change!

Woods of less than 10 acres are certainly more manageable by individuals and families.

I would go and start looking at the woods that you are intersted in, and you are welcome to come and visit us and look around at what we are doing. We are in Sussex. (We have a blog, peplers.blogspot.com) Email me if you are interested and if you think that might help. I am sure others would also be happy to have you visit their woods.

[email protected]

Hope you find a good one!