Bluebells and ash coppice stool in Chester Wood, April
We are very lucky to own a very small piece of semi-natural ancient woodland called Chester Wood. At just over 0.5 of a hectare, it’s not much more than a really wide hedge that follows the line of an old parish boundary. Despite its size, it has some huge ash coppice stools, a few beautifully senile English oaks and in spring a carpet of blue bells, dog’s mercury and ransoms.
Cutting hazel in January 2010
In 1999 we planted 3 hectares of new woodland, right next to Chester Wood. Named ‘Bottoms’ Corner’ after Jane’s Mum, this has a large proportion of hazel which we started to coppice in 2003.
We have been cutting small areas each winter and now sell hazel sticks into a variety of markets.
There’s more information about our woodland here
and about some hazel products here