Monday 13 April 2015

Calling Kentish charcoal burners

The good people at the National Coppice Federation have established a new online directory of charcoal burners and suppliers.

We can't see any Kent burners listed so we thought we would spread the word.  If you know of anyone who should be on this list please visit the NCFED website - listing is free.



Wednesday 1 April 2015

Hazel Coppice - restoration and improvement Seminar

The National Coppice Federation (NCFed) in conjunction with the Forestry Commission (FC) present:


Hazel Coppice - restoration and improvement Seminar


Wednesday and Thursday, May 13th/14th, 2015
at Westonbirt Arboretum (Gloucestershire)

Coppicing has been in decline for much of the past two hundred years. In more recent times, though, there have been attempts to increase the amount of hazel in regular management. 

These may have been inspired by a desire to earn a living from the woods, by wildlife conservation imperatives or by various other reasons.

10 year old hazel coppice (picture courtesy of Hazel Coppice Products
In many cases they have struggled, or even failed, due to the current lack of available information and knowledge of this new discipline.

This Seminar will bring leading restoration practitioners from around the country together with experts in various relevant fields to help establish ‘best-practice’ guidelines. 

It will also draw on the depth of experience which will, undoubtedly, be present in the wider audience.

The venue is Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire, where some twenty five acres of hazel coppice have been brought in to various stages of rotation over the past twenty years. 

These will provide working examples of both good and bad restoration practice.

Confirmed contributors to date include:

  • Penny Jones (FC), Head of Propagation at Westonbirt Arboretum
  • Brian Williamson, lead coppicer at the Arboretum
  • Ralph Harmer (FC), co-author ‘The Silviculture and Management of Coppice Woodlands’
  • Rebecca Oaks, NCFed Chair and co-author of ‘Coppicing and Coppice Crafts’
  • Graham Rimington, The Deer Initiative.

Cost will be £35 for members of NCFed affiliated Groups; £50 for non-members.

Further information can be found on www.ncfed.org  or (with booking details) from  Brian Williamson at westonbirt.coppice@virginmedia.com 


‘A wood that pays is a wood that stays in good heart.’