Three enterprising ‘woodsmen’ in Herefordshire turned an area of neglected woodland into both a thriving business opportunity and a haven for wildlife.
With 45 years in the world of international timber trade behind him, Edmund Dorman of Gorsley seized the opportunity of buying the previously unmanaged 10 hectares of 100-year-old Herefordshire Oak woodland at nearby Ox Lodge Wood in 2008.
Edmund wanted to reinvigorate and protect the woodland, which had been unmanaged for around 50 years, by making it a self-supporting, productive and environmentally-sustainable woodland for the future.
A close collaboration developed with local wood contractors Paul Powell of Ewyas Harold and Gordon Luther of Gorsley, whose expertise in small woodland work proved invaluable in achieving these objectives.
Paul and Gordon took the opportunity of expanding their well-established businesses when Edmund suggested a collaborative venture that would enhance their businesses and create a service for not only Edmund but also other woodland owners.
This venture has seen the three successfully obtain part grant funding towards the machinery needed to manage woodland and increase local supplies of firewood, timber planks, beams and bi-products, creating a greater utilisation of woodland products.
In his first year, Edmund built a drying store in the wood and produced nearly 300 tonnes of quality roundwood, as well as cleaning undergrowth and opening water courses. Wild daffodil, wood anemone and bluebell walks were re-established. The woods are now enjoyed by local schools as a nature resource and local residents for quiet recreation.
Edmund said: “The long term plan is to progressively thin out the woodland to encourage natural regeneration whilst protecting and encouraging indigenous flora and wildlife.
“This is expensive, so the woods must pay their way. In some ways lack of previous thinning has been of benefit as it forced the trees to grow straight up with clean tall trunks, like gun barrels with large crowns. This produces excellent timber and surprising volumes of firewood.”
Under a five-year Forestry Commission approved management plan, the first two seasons’ work have paid their way. Within the woods, 25 m3 (12.5 tonnes) of high quality sawn oak, about 100 tonnes of sawn logs, and some 300 m3 (150 tonnes) of bagged palletised firewood have been produced. Until the woods are in proper long term management they expect to continue production over the coming years.
Edmund has now successfully applied for a £6,000 grant toward investing in a multi-purpose timber handling machine.
Gordon Luther has worked in forestry contracting in the region for around 20 years and specialises in smaller, more environmentally friendly equipment which does not cause the damage that large, heavy machinery does.
He has secured nearly £6,000 grant-funding towards a firewood processor which also extracts sawdust for sale to the farming community.
Paul Powell has 25 years’ experience harvesting timber for a variety of merchants and sawmills, as well as producing and selling firewood and sawn timber himself. He and son Tom have secured £13,000 grant-funding for a mobile sawmill.
Gordon said: “We soon realised that to continue to grow we needed modern and more efficient equipment to compete with the big boys and contacted AWM (Advantage West Midlands) to see if there was any funding available.”
AWM put them in touch with Heartwoods, a voluntary sector regional initiative working with the Forestry Commission which received an £827,000 grant from the Agency. The aim was to harness untapped wood resources to encourage new jobs and businesses and build a solid wood supply chain from felling to selling.
Heartwoods were able to help them tap into Rural Development Programme funding and they were awarded Woodland Enterprise Grants after submitting viable business cases.
“By working and bidding for the grants together we have been able to acquire vital equipment which, individually, would have been beyond any one of us working alone,” said Paul.
On the environment side, minimal road miles are involved in the production process with firewood and timber mainly being produced to order from ever-growing local end users. If delivering to more distant customers as far afield as Manchester and London, they work on a back load principle, never returning empty.
The proven benefits of this case study can be, and are, applied to other woodlands where Paul and Gordon’s expertise and up to date equipment can provide a sound economic benefit to woodland owners and sustain ongoing employment within the collaborators’ businesses.
Nick Maskery of Heartwoods said: “This is the first time we have helped separate businesses work together like this. It is a win, win situation all round for the businesses and the environment .”
And the local community are just loving access to what has become a nature haven for tranquil enjoyment.
