The Forthampton Estate has 250 acres of mixed woodland, much of it broadleaved with a high percentage of ash. There is a busy shoot and the woods were entered into a Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship Scheme in 2018.
The Estate has recognised the impact ash dieback will have on its woods with serious implications for their long term management. We were instructed to map by compartment the extent of the ash and propose a felling and restocking programme.
Following meetings with the owners, agents and the shoot we agreed a felling programme which commenced in 2020. The first phase resulted in the felling of 5.3 hectares of ash which yielded nearly 800 tonnes of timber. In order to maximise the financial return logs were cut for the export market with the poorer quality timber cut into firewood and biomass with much of the latter retained for the Estate biomass boiler.
An application was approved under the Countryside Stewardship Scheme Woodland Tree Health grant to aid the restocking of the felled areas. The second phase of felling will commence in the summer of 2021.
Testimonial
Andrew has managed the Forthampton Estate’s woodland for 4 years now. He immediately saw what our intention was and put a sensible strategy in place. He is always available to discuss a problem, understands well how a private estate runs and is happy to make compromises when it is called for. His no nonsense knowledge of the sector, ability to sell timber competitively and his contacts are second to none.
Anabel Mackinnon, The Forthampton Estate