I'm lucky enough to manage a 10 acre (4 hectare) woodland near Horley, Surrey, owned by my family. It is a fairly typical Wealden wood, low lying and on heavy clay, so seasonally very wet. After 60 years without management it was very dense when acquired 7 years ago. Since then we have re-established a central ride, dealt with alien species and recommence coppicing, with about four acres now restored. I've been lucky to have the help of the Reigate Area Conservation Volunteers (I carry out their tool repairs) and I can't think how I would have got so far without their help. As you can see from the pictures, a large amount of birch has been felled, and all was extracted and stacked by hand.

A cleared coupe, with birch corded at side.

Two year old hazel regrowth.

Newly cut stool of hazel. Some stools in the wood have not been coppiced for 70 years.

As a result of the coppice restoration I have had a lot of birch and hazel firewood for the last few years but less is available now, and I'm just supplying people locally now (2009).

The first areas to be brought back into a coppice rotation are now becoming ready to cut, so I can now supply coppiced hazel poles, i.e. stakes and heatherings/binders for hedgelaying, bean poles, pea sticks (bundled branchy hazel tops), clothes props, plant stakes/supports and rustic poles for bowers etc. Prices from 40 pence per stick.

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