GATLEY ESTATE
HEREFORDSHIRE
The Gatley Estate is a lowland Estate with 160 hectares of mixed woods. The woods are an important part of the landscape with access and topography adding to the management challenge.
In common with most lowland estates the woodland manager must balance profitability against several other management objectives including a busy shoot, the importance of amenity to the family, a deer population and, of course, the constant battle to limit the impact of grey squirrels.
Bronwin & Abbey over the last 20 years has implemented a regular and consistent timber harvesting programme with a combination of clear felling and thinning and income enhanced by the Estate woods being within our UKWAS group scheme. By feeding timber into the local markets most years we have achieved a stream of timber income complemented by grants from the Woodland Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship Scheme and the Tree Health Grant. These grants have helped with the management of the woods through paying towards ride management, uneconomic thinning, invasive species control, deer and squirrel control, and restocking following the felling of infected ash.
The Estate has recently embarked on some new woodland creation and Bronwin & Abbey has successfully submitted a grant application to the England Woodland Grant Offer as well as registering the carbon with the Woodland Carbon Code.
"The result has been positive financial returns over the period of the company’s involvement. Andrew and his staff have a great attitude to achieve progressive woodland management."
