Types of Woodland

There are three general types of woodland that you may like to own:

Mixed Deciduous

This may be oak, ash, beech, chestnut, silver birch, willow, sycamore or a mixture of any or all of these. Part of your wood may be mature; high crowns giving massive shade, with consequently almost clear ground underneath. Here you get clear views, and can walk around freely. Other parts may be less mature - perhaps recently felled and replanted - and will repay loving attention. Some areas may still need replanting, a very satisfying task. Mature timber, carefully marketed, fetches a good price, and there are now special agencies (see appendix) to help owners of smaller woods with this.

Coniferous

These are usually in 'plantations'. The whole wood may contain a single species or perhaps two or three types. If these are well managed and have already been thinned the ground under the trees will be almost clear and wonderful for walking round. The smell is delicious. All year round the needles are green and luxuriant. The timber grows quickly and thinnings can and should be taken and used or sold every few years to make way for the final crop of mature trees.

Coppice

When a young deciduous tree is cut down, it tends to sprout new shoots from the remaining trunk. These coppice shoots grow very much more rapidly than a newly planted tree, having the benefit of an existing root system. Within a few years the poles are long enough and thick enough to be cut and used for fencing, firewood, or minor building work. A new crop of shoots springs from the root, or stool, and the process can be repeated every 12-20 years.

Throughout history coppice poles have been the main product of woodland. Amongst the coppice, some trees (usually oaks) have been allowed to grow on to maturity, for big timber. Now that we have power tools to enable us to handle and deal with timber, coppice is less important, but many woods are still of this type. The existing coppice that you will find is mainly chestnut, or hornbeam, or hazel. Amongst the coppice you will probably find holly, which was used in time past for fodder for cattle, and the graceful silver birch.

Where the coppice is cut, light again reaches the ground, and native flowers whose seeds have been dormant in the ground spring up; these provide food and breeding places for butterflies and for insects that birds consume. A coppice woodland which has been neglected lacks these, but it can easily be restored by patient and continuous coppicing.

A Guide to Tree Identification

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Badgers, Beeches and Blisters

A book about the practicalities of managing your own woodland. Available free here.