Background
I grew up in Buxted, East Sussex, working in coppice woodlands in my holidays from the age of 15. I graduated in 1997 with a BSc in Environmental Protection. In between saving sea turtles in Greece, I developed my wood skills at Wilderness Wood, where I became the woodland manager. I started my own business in 2013.
Wilderness Wood is a 62 acre working woodland set in the High Weald in the village of Hadlow Down. It is predominately made up of chestnut coppice but also with areas of softwood and Beech plantation that are being managed as continuous cover forestry.
Coppicing is a traditional method of woodland management going back thousands of years. Poles are cut on a rotation and the stool regenerates to produce a successive crop of poles. This sustainable form of woodland management ensures woodland is not clear felled and provides valuable habitat for a whole range of flora and fauna.
The coppice poles that are produced in the wood and surrounding area are used in many of the products that I supply, from logs to rose arches and furniture. Sweet Chestnut has high levels of tannins in the wood, giving it a good resistance to rotting and making it ideal for garden constructions with the bonus that chemical treatments are not required.
Customers and Clients
We supply many local gardeners and landscaping companies.
Other clients include;
The National Trust
The Eden Project
Kew Gardens
Film production companies
Nationwide tree house design and build companies
Forest Schools
Useful contacts and information