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Coppicing in Croydon with BTCV (supported by Croydon Council)

The first stage of Croydon “BTCV” Sustainable Woodlands team’s 2006/7 winter season programme involves coppicing an acre (about the size of a football pitch) of seven year old understory woodland, consisting of mixed hazel and ash within Selsdon wood – owned by the National Trust and managed on their behalf by Croydon Council.

Work commenced with clearance of the bramble and bracken undergrowth to create a safe and accessible work-site

inspiring people, improving placesv3

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Safety FirstGuidelines used by the team included:• Make sure everyone knows who the first aiders are, the location of the first

aid kit and arrangements for its use – including the recording of any incidents

• Never hold / use any (especially sharp) wooden handled swinging tool (e.g. billhook or slasher) whilst wearing gloves (risk of losing grip and tool flying out of hand and hitting someone)

• Make sure team members understand risks associated with fires – especially tripping near to fires and burn risks

• Clear the site to minimise the number of tripping and slipping hazards• Establish safe working zones for individuals to maintain a safe working

distance from others – i.e. be at least two arm lengths plus the tool length from the nearest co-worker

• Ensure all team members understand how to use tools in a safe manner• When burning waste material ensure only one responsible person loads the

fire correctly i.e. all material in the same direction so it collapses onto the flames

• Burn and damp down fire before leaving it unattended• Ensure team members take rest periods and don’t get over tired (plenty of

tea and biscuits)

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Why coppice?• To produce a useful and valued timber product in a

sustainable manner that has been used for centuries (coppiced trees tend to live longer than those allowed to grow naturally)

• To harvest the woodland understory which in turn increases levels of light and heat to the coupe (the area being coppiced), encouraging new plant growth and regeneration

• To clear the woodland floor temporarily of bramble and bracken, and create an open and healthy environment which encourages and supports a broad range of animals and plants

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The TeamL-R

Dave 1

Gil

Mark 1

Dave 2

Justin

Chris

Mary

Tom

Rob (team leader)

Mark 2 is taking the photo

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Tools for the job

1. Billhook (for snedding)2. Bow saw and pruning saw3. Gloves and boots (protection)4. Slasher (brush clearance)5. Loppers (trimming)6. Pitchfork (waste handling)7. First aid kit8. Storm Kettle (for tea and

biscuits)9. Hi-viz coat and hard hat

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Right: Hazel runners are tagged for layering (plashing) to develop new growth areas

Left: Trees (an Oak in this case) that are to be retained (standard or maiden trees) and not coppiced are tagged

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Below: Coppiced hazel stool. The oval shape is created to encourage rain to run off and reduce risk of the stool rotting.

Left: Two hazel stands are cleared of bramble and bracken prior to coppicing

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Cut timber (sometimes called a “drift”) prior to being trimmed (snedded) and graded (decision about the final product that the timber will be used for)

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Middle left: Waste material formed into habitat piles – to encourage insects and provide cover for small mammals

Upper left: Waste material from the snedding and grading process

Lower left: Any surplus waste is burnt off

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Graded material in a storage pen (created from waste material). Products:

• Ethering (or binding) rods (4-5m in length) – used in hedge laying

• Hedge stakes (c1.75m in length) – used in hedge laying

• Tree guard stakes (c1.40m in length) – to support plastic tubes put around young trees to prevent damage by rabbits, deer or other “predators”

• Bean poles (c2.45m in length) – for use by gardeners and in allotments

• Pea sticks (0.9 – 1.5m in length) (as for bean poles)

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Above: A pea stick

Left: From l – r:• Ethering rod• Bean pole• Hedge stake• Tree guard stake

Heathering rod

Bean pole

Hedging stake

Tree guard stake

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A cleared area once coppicing and other work has been completed. Main standard tree is a sweet chestnut – note also habitat pile in background (left)

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Results

• Hours worked – 665• Days worked on site – 29• Area coppiced – c.1 acre• Units of timber produced:

- Ethering rods 1105- Hedging stakes 1060- Tree guard stakes 550- Bean poles 1000- Pea sticks 615 Total 4330

Right: Bundles of pea sticks penned and waiting to be collected

Left: Tree guard stakes stacked prior to collection

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Planting for the futureThe hazel runners marked out earlier (see page 6) for layering to promote new growth and increase density (beat up) are shown here:

Left: The underside of the hazel runner is stressed (bark removed to reveal the yellow / white underneath); the stem is pleached (shaved down until it will bend under its own weight); pegged down (with dog legged plashing pegs made from hazel waste), and finally buried to stimulate root growth

Right: New year old growth from the 2005/6 seasons plashing. Each hazel runner can eventually produce four or five new independent hazel stools

Pleached stem

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Waste material from the site has been used here to make a dead hedge – to protect the site and maintain alignment of the path edge

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Rob with bundles of bean poles and tree guard stakes awaiting collection. In the background you can see the growth from last years area coppicing.

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The finished product in use. Hedging stakes and ethering rods from Selsdon Woods used in a hedge laying project on behalf of the Corporation of London at Spring Park, West Wickham, Kent.

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Nature returnsThe site as we left it, waiting for nature to take over and the bluebells to flower

With thanks to Croydon Council for all their support, encouragement and guidance throughout the coppicing season

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Want to know more?

To discover more about Croydon’s Sustainable Woodland Group, contact BTCV Croydon on 0208 726 0974

www.btcv.org

Mark Papworth

January 2007