So what is coppicing?
Coppicing is a traditional form of woodland management that has shaped many of the remaining semi-natural woodlands in the UK. A coppiced wood is cut periodically, and the trees allowed to regrow from the cut stumps (stools). Regrowth can be very fast, often as much as two metres in a year.
Coppicing provides an environmentally sustainable source of wood because periodic cutting actually prolongs the life of the tree. It also creates a rich mosaic of habitats, attracting a wide range of flora and fauna. Many of the oldest trees in British woods (some over 1,000 years old) have been coppiced or pollarded.
The practice of coppicing dates back to Neolithic times. The Romans coppiced large areas of woodlands to fuel their iron works. Later, records in the Domesday Book of 1086 show that coppicing was widespread in lowland England. By the Middle Ages short-rotation (every six years) coppice was the most common form of woodland management,
The craft of coppicing has been in decline since the demand for coppiced products began to falter last century. By 1965, the area of coppiced woodland was a low as 30,000 hectares. The recent modest revival is mainly due to conservation organisations’ efforts to preserve historical heritage, rich wildlife habitat and rural crafts associated with coppicing.
(Whats the difference between coppicing and pollarding? – click here to see some pollarding.)
So come and try it !
Stalwart volunteers under the guidance of Senior Reserve Officers began coppicing in Hambleton Wood in December 2001. This ancient woodland was traditionally coppiced and is full of old Hazel coppice stools that have grown too large in recent years. The Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust have taken over the management of this wood and a number of others around the reservoir.
The event pictured above, Family Christmas Coppicing, has become a bit of a tradition , and always held on the 28th December: the ideal way to work off the excesses of the festive season! Bring all the family and help carry out traditional coppicing in ancient woodlands. Then in future years you will be able to come back and watch the new shoots developing from the ground level. See the how the wildlife appreciates the improved habitat! The regular volunteer teams do lots of coppicing throughout the winter months. For more details please contact the visitor centre 01572-770651 or to book on this year’s event click here
The effect of coppicing
Some of the coppiced areas were surrounded by a temporary fence to prevent the new growth being browsed off by rabbits.
The picture on the left was taken in the spring of 2003 and shows the wonderful display of bluebells that characterise Hambleton Wood at that time of the year. In the foreground is a hazel stool that was coppiced the previous winter, while inside the exclosure fence you can see one of the old stools that was deliberately left intact in order to maximise the diversity.
Bluebells in Hambleton Wood
One years growth
The picture on the right shows one complete year’s growth of the hazel coppice on Lax Hill.
And what about pollarding? It’s rather different as you can see here.