Curious Curves of The Ash Tree

Fraxinus excelsior, or the European Ash tree is a species that’s been in the news a substantial amount over the last year or so, due to the recent discovery of the ash die-back fungal disease, Chalara fraxinea. It really is a shame that we may lose a huge number of this rather amazing species in the UK. I've described it as amazing purely because of the diversity of uses that the timber from an ash tree has, let alone for the many invertebrate species associated with this species.

A few posts ago I mentioned the bend that can often be found in the base of ash tree trunks. Whilst visiting Oxburgh Hall on a work day out the other day I came across these incredible ash trees, with an almost 90 degree curve in the stems.

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I usually go for stems of a slightly smaller diameter to carve my spoons out of, so that I only have to split the wood once in half. However, I seem to recall Ben Law talking about using this type of growth in ash trees for the construction of a certain type of support or beam in his woodland house featured on Grand Designs. I did a quick search on the internet to see if I could find out any information on this type of growth, and a name for it; this wasn't very successful though. It would be great to find out why ash trees often exhibit this type of growth. Leave a comment if you have any ideas or can point me in the direction of finding out more! 

The Art of Coppicing

Coppicing is a woodland management technique that produces a sustainable source of timber with a whole range of applications. Coppicing has also been shown to create a diverse range of habitats which in turn has a hugely positive impact on the level of biodiversity within a woodland.

When a broadleaved tree has its stem and crown removed certain hormone levels within the stump of the tree (the stool) undergo a rapid change. This causes new shoots to sprout from the side of the stool; which is known as the re-growth. Re-growth can be rapid, often as much as 2 meters a year, this is because the tree has a fully developed root system. The practice of coppicing can be carried out on the same tree for at least several hundred years and has been shown to actually prolong the life of a tree. In fact, often the oldest trees in our woods are grown from coppice stools (1).

A freshly coppiced hazel stool. No re-growth has begun to grow on this stool yet, but you can clearly see the multiple stems from previous years coppicing. 

Over time the stool of the tree continues to grow in diameter, however, the diameter of the timber being harvested can be controlled by the frequency of coppicing; the longer the period of time in between each time the stool is coppiced, the larger the timber. It is thought that coppicing was popular in the past because timber of a manageable size could be produced (2).

A freshly cut mixed coppice. You'll notice that these stools are still quite high, this is because they were cut by volunteers with hand tools. They will likely be cut lower to the ground with a chainsaw within the next few weeks. (Picture courtesy of Oxburgh wood, National Trust, Norfolk)

Culturally, coppicing played a huge role in the development of our society and its technology. Coppicing has been traced back to as far as Neolithic times (c4000 BC) (4). Historians believe that during the medieval period over half of the woodlands in the UK were managed through coppicing (3)

Written records referring to the practice of coppicing date back to 1251; these records describe the type of material collected from coppiced woodlands and its value in East Anglia. (2)

The word ‘coppice’ comes from the French word ‘couper’ which means ‘to cut’. This may also explain why in some parts of the country a coppice is split up into compartments called ‘coupes’. Each of these coupes is cut on a rotation, creating areas that have been freshly coppiced, areas of the wood with young, scrubby re-growth and areas with relatively developed trees. This diversity creates a mosaic of habitats within a single woodland; providing opportunities for a wide range of species to thrive.

This diagram helps to illustrate the various stages of growth that hazel goes through during the coppice cycle. This illustrates a 'coppice with standards', this type of coppice includes both coppice stools and large standard timber trees. Other types of coppice include 'pure coppice' and 'mixed coppice'.

More recently, many wildlife centred organisations have begun to use coppicing as a method of woodland management to solely benefit wildlife. The benefit of coppicing to our native wildlife is, however, a by-product. Originally woodlands would have been coppiced solely for the timber that was produced, and the associated coppice crafts that required this material. Items being produced from a coppice would have included gate hurdles, tool handles, besom brooms, bark for weaving, barrels and timber for traditional shelters and structures. 

Since the early 1900’s coppicing within the UK has been on the decline, it is estimated that about 1% of the remaining woodlands are coppiced today (3). However, interest in the benefits of coppicing for wildlife is increasing, as is the interest in crafts associated with coppicing. The long history of coppicing in the UK has profoundly influenced the flora and fauna found in our semi-natural woods, the decline in coppicing has caused many open-woodland species to decline in numbers. Therefore the resurgence of coppicing in the UK can only be a good thing.

Refereces / Further reading:

1. http://www.coppice.co.uk/

2. http://smallwoods.org.uk/our-work/woodland-products/a-brief-history-of-coppicing/

3. Badgers, Beeches and Blisters by Julian Evans. Available online: http://www.woodlands.co.uk/owning-a-wood/badgers-beeches-and-blisters/badgers-beeches-and-blisters.pdf

4. http://www.norseywood.org.uk/wood/coppicing.htm

Two Swedish Spoons

Whilst I was out working in the woodland earlier this week I came across a piece of birch, sycamore and ash all with a nice curve which I thought was the perfect shape for a few Swedish style eating spoons.

The spoon in the foreground in the picture above is made from ash, and the other is silver birch. I think these spoons are great for soup!

The small log below is a piece of sycamore that I found, that nice gentle curve is what I normally look for. I have found that the base of small diameter trees, especially birch and ash, often have this nice curve.

My next post should be a bit more coppice skills based, I just wanted to share this weeks makings!

Discovering the woodland

For a few years now I have had an interest in the ancient practice of coppicing as well as the many crafts which have become associated with this method of woodland management. In the last year I have been fortunate to begin to build up experience in the management of woodlands through coppicing; initially with the Kent Wildlife Trust and now with a living history museum in Norfolk called Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse.

Volunteers working in our local woodland @ Gressenhall Farm and Workouse

I've started this blog so that I can begin to document the experiences and skills that I'm gaining in the traditional practice of coppicing. I am hoping that this will encourage others to also take an interest in this incredible tradition, whilst also inspiring them to support coppice workers in their local area.

The positive outcomes of coppicing are far reaching, from being hugely beneficial to our native wildlife, providing social benefits and producing a sustainable source of timber based products. This potential for coppicing to be so beneficial is what really appeals to me.

I hope to also use this blog as a platform to display the things that I like to make from the wood that I collect from the coppice. I also aim to keep a record of the green woodworking processes and techniques used to make these items.

I hope that this blog will be of interest to people from a variety of backgrounds, and will encourage you to explore and get to know your local woodlands!