Coombe woodland
We have some 240 acres of mixed woodland, both softwoods - Larch, Sitka and Norway Spruce, Western Hemlock, Douglas Fir. And hardwoods, Oak, Ash, Beech, Cherry, Sycamore, Birch, Sweet Chestnut. The softwoods predominate, but we are gradually encouraging the hardwoods, cutting coups and thinning the softwoods so as to give the hardwoods sufficient extra light. Because of the presence of deer in the forest we tend towards such forest management techniques, encouraging already growing trees, rather than planting extra trees, which tend to be eaten before they can easily establish themselves.
A Little History
The woodlands here are a reflection of what has been happening to UK woodlands since the nineteen fifties. In the fifties, partly due to the tax regime at the time, great swathes of hardwood trees were clear-felled in favour of fast-growing conifers. Beautiful ancient trees which had been growing for four hundred years and more were cut down. Straight lines of conifers were planted in their place, or often in utterly inappropriate places, such as parts of our moorland heritage in the west country, Wales, Scotland, Ireland.
But then, just as these conifers were approaching harvestable size, the iron curtain was removed and predominately private enterprise in eastern block countries such as Russia and Latvia started cutting down great swathes of their vast conifer forests - a move almost as ecologically disastrous as deforestation in the Amazon rain forests. Cheap softwood timber came flooding its way into western Europe, thereby destroying the market for our own home-grown softwoods. UK timber prices tumbled.
The situation now seems to be changing. China is sucking up vast amounts of timber, having virtually exhausted supplies from Tibet - one important reason we often forget for China's invasion of Tibet. Eastern Europe has somewhat reduced its timber harvesting operation, resorting to more sustainable forestry methods. Demand is rising and with it prices. Here at Coombe we have attempted to weather the storms, both Michael Fish's disasterous storm which laid low some 20 acres, and the price of timber. We have thinned the minimum amount possible. Now we are hoping that with prices improving we can use our income from timber sales to achieve more sustainable forestry management techniques.
Our woods and timber are organic
To the extent that we do not use any pesticides, inorganic fertilisers or herbicides in our woods, our woods are organic. As yet there is no accepted certification procedure for organic forestry although the relevant standard has been passed - Tim Malyon sat on the Soil Association subcommittee that developed it. Now we are waiting to see how this standard will be implemented by the Soil Association ‘woodmark’ organisation. There is also the Forestry Stewardship Council Council (FSC) which implements an international sustainable forestry standard but this is not an organic standard, albeit close to it.
Workshops and Timber sales
Please contact us if you are interested in purchasing timber or planning to run any kind of forestry- related workshops, either residential or just for the day. Our woodland is very mixed - soft and hardwoods - and is a working wood so a useful location for training.
We are a member of a machinery coop with its own woodmizer portable sawmill. We can also solar kiln dry timber to order. If you are planning any major timber projects such as a timber framed house please give us as much advance warning as possible. The machinery coop is just starting to develop its own marketing arm which will give us greater flexibility in supplying different timbers from different members' forests.
Environmental assessment
The woodlands Assesement, carried out by Rosie Wibberley and grant aided by the Forestry Commission, looks at the Flora & Fauna of Allensdown Woods (the coombe Farm wood) and how best to sustainably manage the forestry. You can read the assessment here.
Find out more about our Environmental policy
