Traditional woodland skills

Coppicing, charcoal burning, horse logging, using billhooks/axes/handsaws, and creating wattle fences... I think I'd love to be part-arborist, part-woodsman living and working in the woods, but able to carry out tree surgery on some big old ancient trees on the side. Ah, the dream!


I'm currently researching and writing an investigative project at college about traditional woodland management. The following books have been of great help...


Elizabeth Agate - Woodlands: a Practical Handbook (BTCV)
- this contains nearly everything the conservationist who works with woods needs to know - a bit of background on woodland history, how to use handsaws, how to coppice, make charcoal and use coppice products


D. Cook - The Ax Book: the Lore and Science of the Woodcutter
- makes me want buy an axe and work in the woods with it - an amazing book about axes and woodsmanship!


Anything by Oliver Rackham, especially his engrossing contribution to the New Naturalist series, simply called "Woodlands"


Piers Warren - British Native Trees: their past and present uses


Ben Law - the Woodland Year


plus:
http://www.smallwoods.org.uk/
http://www.craftsintheenglishcountryside.org.uk/
http://www.englishcharcoal.co.uk/
http://www.commonground.org.uk/ (especially for those arty folk!)


and priceless others...

They all make for really interesting reading about a time before forestry meant harvesters, chainsaws and spruce plantations. The woods were managed in a truly sustainable way, and no one used gas or coal for home heating, and we didn't use imported timber. It's a shame how things have changed, and I personally think we should start doing more of this sustainable management before the oil and coal run out and we realise softwoods won't solve our problems.