A winter update from CANW

Hello and welcome to our 2023/4 mid winter newsletter! This is the place to share information about some of the exciting things our members have been doing over the last few months. It’s also a place to share upcoming projects, workshops and events with our community of members. I hope you’ll enjoy reading and if you have anything you’d like to include in the next edition, which will go out later in the year, then please drop me a line on [email protected].
Thanks!
Emma

Upcoming Events

CANW AGM 9th February 2024

(THIS WEEKEND!) – Sprint Mill

Meet at 18:00 for food, chat & social, meeting starts at 19:00, followed by friendly vibes & tunes

Here are some words from CANW’s Secretary, Duncan on what to expect:

We eagerly anticipate the return of the legendary CANW AGM! Now that we’re just about on our feet again we can bring all the glitz & glamour of previous years plus a bit more!

We’re kindly hosted at Sprint Mill again, which I think is the best possible venue for it. If you haven’t been before you’re in for a treat as it is probably the most interesting, old, quirky, friendly venue in the Lake District, yet easy to overlook if you don’t already know it.

We’re wanting to make this an interactive & participatory experience as we really want our members to have more involvement in what we do & how we do it. This is your opportunity to have a discussion about how we can all work together to brighten the prospects for the woodland crafts & coppice industry for the benefit of each & every one of us. We also need your feedback as members as to what you want us to be doing on your behalf going forwards…

It will also be a great opportunity for networking & meeting other members, so if you’re new to CANW then this is definitely for you. If you’re an old hand then you’ll know how good these events have been in the past & won’t want to miss out.

There will be a raffle (please bring some relevant wood/craft/tool related items to donate to it!)
There will be a bring & buy coppice/craft tools & craft work sale (please bring some things to sell – you get all the cash!)
There will be a ‘Jacobs Join’ buffet (please bring some food & something to eat it off!)
There will be music (please bring an instrument so we can have a good old session!)
There will (hopefully) be a quiz (tbc still, but please bring a pencil anyway, just in case there is one!)
There will be friendly faces & good company (so please come!)

We also need some help on the committee going forwards, so there are opportunities to really get involved, influence direction & help everyone do good stuff in the woods. Not huge onerous tasks, but if a few people do a little bit to help then we can achieve great things together…

In particular we need a new Chairperson and a Treasurer
(see bottom of this mail out for more info on this)

Weekend in the Woods 2024 – 1st and 2nd June

Silverhelme Scout CampSave the date for the return of Weekend in the Woods! While spring is in full swing we will be gathering at Silverhelme Scout Camp nestled in Arnside & Silverdale AONB.

A mix of courses will be available, from the practical shave horse making course to connecting with the natural landscape and exploring ancient skills.

Camping available from Friday evening and catering booked for breakfast and lunch both days with an evening meal to share on Saturday, giving you as much time as possible to focus on honing your new skills.

You are invited to bring your instruments and fireside craic for the Saturday night too, with whispers of storytelling and turns to be taken. All to be revealed in the next few weeks!

Coppice Co-op & Underley outreach work

Thanks to Sam Ansell of the Coppice Co-op for this article.

In Autumn of 2023 the Coppice Co-op ran an engagement project with Staff and Pupils from Underley Garden School. The aim was to assist the pupils to feel “at home in the woods” by providing a range of activities in a lovely patch of woodland in Gait Barrows National Nature Reserve (if you’ve never been to GazBaz you should check it out its ace!).

The project was funded by the Arnside and Silverdale National Landscape through the Farming in Protected Landscapes fund. Underley Garden School, which educates young people with Autism, came out for 6 sessions of woodland frolicking. We built campfires, cooked tasty treats, identified plants and animals, and generally got stuck in. The pupils seemed to particularly enjoy the tool use aspects of the sessions – using hand tools to prepare firewood, make rustic benches and build dens.

The Coppice Co-op staff had fun too – and learned a lot themselves! Engaging new audiences with Coppicing and Crafts has been an objective for us for a while and hopefully we will be able to build on this project to deliver more of this in the future.

A call out for more peelers!

Thanks to Helen Clarke for this article on bark peeling and her visit to Bakers Tannery in Devon

Anyone felling oak might consider waiting ’til springtime, when the bark can be peeled from the wood with ease (and a very satisfying sound) and sold in bundles to the last remaining leather tannery in the UK working by these traditional methods.

J and FJ Baker will take as much bark as can be produced. Demand for their top quality leather is high, so they encourage those managing oak woods to keep them well supplied with bark.

It’s the cambium layer in the bark which contains the most tannin, so young growth oak is preferred to that which comes from larger mature oaks, whose bark has a thick corky layer which isn’t of much use for the tanning process. Oak cut on a coppice cycle is the best! But thinnings or anything on the younger side is just as good. And they’ll take the older corky stuff as well, which does still have valuable tannin in the cambium layer, but the pay rate per tonne is lower, because of all the extra weight of the corky bit that’s no good to them.

The peeling season runs approximately from St George’s Day (21st April), to the end of June, and is a lovely time to be in the woods.

The price paid last year was £1,307 per tonne.

The bark is bundled in the wood, and stored off the ground and covered – tannin is water-soluble so it’ll run away if the bundles are rained on, ruining your harvest.

The Coppice Association North West have had an arrangement for many years now, whereby membership of the association gets you free transportation of your bark to the tannery in Devon.

This is facilitated by Brian and Kaye, farmer friends of the tannery who’ve been coming up once a year in the autumn for decades now, who provide the connection between the northwest oak woods and the tannery. Their visit, though brief, is a genuine highlight of the woodland year. A morning is spent loading the bark and catching up with each other. Everyone’s welcome. The bark is gathered ready in one place beforehand at Stoney Hazel Wood in Rusland, South Lakes.

2023 was a good haul, significantly increased by the efforts of two new arrivals on the peeling scene, Josh and Tom. So good in fact, that there was too much to fit on the trailer without it being a bit naughty for a long trip down the motorway!

I took the remainder to the tannery myself, and after getting off the weighbridge and all the business being sorted, Andrew Parr the current owner was kind enough to give me a tour.

The hides are tanned in exactly the same way they always have been, and visiting the site feels like stepping back in time. The process, or rather many processes, are long and laborious, and the leather produced is of a different, higher, stronger quality than any made by modern mechanised methods. Each building houses a different part of the process, every bit of them worn to a shape and shine by the work of so many years. The changing smell in each tells you something too, often at first from a distance! The hides take a year from beginning to end, from salting and the enormous lime vats, washing, tanning, moving through each stage, slowly, all done by hand and with tremendous skill.

The main difference in the leather produced, as I understand it, is the hides are never agitated whilst in the various solutions, only suspended in each, and then removed when the liquor needs stirring. (That’s one of the very laborious bits mentioned earlier!) This allows the fibres of leather, much like the fibres in wood, to remain in their original, strongest state.

A few photos of this magical place might have been helpful here, but in the excitement I found myself without my camera.

The tannery is well, well worth a visit if you are ever in that part of Devon (Colyton), and if you give them plenty of notice, they seem happy to show their bark peelers around.

If people would be interested in a coppice association trip there in future, I’d be delighted to organise it, please send an expression of interest to me at [email protected]

There’s so much more to the place, the process and the product than I’ve managed to share here.

The bark collected by us woody folk is integral, one traditional craft supporting another. Do please get peeling if you can.

Invasive Asian Hornet – info and actions

Image from Asian Hornet Action Team

Thank you to Edward Mills for this article on the invasive Asian Hornet

It’s not uncommon for woody folk to be stung by a wasp but it’s much less common to be stung by a hornet, especially in NW England where they are quite rare. A hornet sting is apparently quite painful, but they are one of those creatures which tend to leave people alone, unless they are seen as an immediate threat.

The Asian hornet has become common in Europe and is now on our doorstep; it is virtually out of control in France and the Channel Islands. It predates many of our native insects including honey bees, wasps and our own European hornet. In its native habitats it is predated by other insects including other hornets but it has no natural predators in the UK and is very aggressive. If you are unfortunate enough to disturb a nest, they have a tendency to come after you and people are often subjected to multiple stings, sometimes ending up in hospital.

A colony can produce 6,000 individuals during a summer season. One nest has the ability to produce well over 300 queens for disbursal to create new nests the following year (although only a small number mate and make it through the Winter). There have only been a very few sightings in NW England so far, but in 2023, many nests were destroyed in SE England and it is feared that it will probably become established at any time now.

The Asian Hornet is an invasive non-native species and poses a serious threat to our native insect populations, as well as being a potential health hazard to people. It is imperative that sightings are reported to the Great British Non Native Species Secretariat. This is best done through the free Asian Hornet Watch app which can be found here.

There is also an on-line notification form. If you think you have found a nest, it is strongly recommended that you don’t disturb it.

There are some excellent identification guides on the national bee unit website. The main things to look out for include the mostly black abdomen except the fourth abdominal segment which has a yellow band. It has yellow legs and has sometimes been called the yellow-legged hornet. Its face is orange, although from above, its head is black. It can be confused with our native European hornet (which is mostly yellow and larger with black legs) and the harmless but impressive giant wood wasp, the female of which has a long ovipositor, often mistaken for a “stinger”).

So, please keep a look out for the Asian Hornet and report it if you see one. We really don’t want this aggressive predator on the loose in the UK and the longer we can keep it out, the better.

Glass Knott Earthburn

Thank you to Amanda Healy for this write up on the earthburn carried out during the NCFed National Gathering

When CANW emailed and said that there was an earthburn taking place in September I offered to help. I knew a little about the charcoal making process from a time when I volunteered at Offshoots permaculture based at Towneley Hall in Burnley, but I had not heard of an earthburn and I was intrigued to learn more.

I have been a Potter for many years and had built a few woodfired kilns during my student days, I have read about more primitive ways of firing pottery, techniques which are still used in India, and the ancient ways pottery was fired here in Britain. I am retired now and plan to do some outdoor experimental firings on my smallholding, as I no longer have a kiln. I was curious to know if an earthburn would inspire me to experiment at home, and maybe I’d be able to pick up some tips, and apply them to firing pottery.

I set of from Lancashire on the Friday morning with directions for Glass Knott Wood, near Ickenthwaite, I managed to find the location which was quite magical, (Good directions from Dan Sumner)! After introductions, we cleared the space of the top layer of earth, other vegetation had already been shifted. The wood was cut to lengths by Dan, and we commenced stacking the wood, being expertly directed by Brian Crawley, the stacking is an art in itself, building around the chimney, where the coals will be put to start the burn. Once the wood was in place it was then packed with bracken and then sealed with earth, it was a nice community activity, Brian informing us and guiding our work.

Brian explained about the connection to film Swallows and Amazons, and that an earthburn had been done in this location for the film, 2023 is the the 50th anniversary of the making of the film. Personally I had never seen Swallows and Amazons although I had heard of it. I grew up and lived in Southern Ireland until the 1980s so must have missed it. But it was interesting to have a such a story which added to the excitement of the process and the weekend. Brian showed us a clip from the earthburn scene in the film, as well as other interesting clips of other burns.

I wasn’t there for the lighting on Saturday, but I travelled up on the Sunday and could smell the burn as I was approaching the area! It was exciting to see the much reduced heap smoking and smouldering away. Another lovely time working together to keep the pile from setting alight, and then poring water into the stack carefully through a pipe to start the cooling down process. Brian overseeing the process with an expert eye, and passing on his knowledge to those that were there. Throughout the day there were quite a few visitors who were interested in the earthburn or had a connection to Swallows and Amazons, it made what once would have been a common occurrence in the woods seem all the more poignant.

It was exciting once we started to spread the charcoal out for it to cool, separating the burnt ends, (this makes me giggle as I thought that Dan was saying burnt hen’s all weekend, and couldn’t get that image out of my head)! amazing to see the wood transformed with a beautiful metallic sheen. Once cooled we then bagged it all up ready to be taken away.

I found the two days a wonderful experience, an ancient tradition, done in community with lovely people. I learnt so much from Brian and Dan, and am so glad to have been part on the team on this special occasion.

I am inspired to try out some pottery firing techniques and who knows maybe even do a small earthburn next summer!

Woodland Ways in Burnbarrow Wood

by Brian Crawley

Subsequent to the demise of Mike Napton, with whom we had been invited to work as our first coppicing business, and the formation of the Coppice Association North West, with which I was involved as committee member and Assistant Secretary (Charcoal), Louise and I continued our work in Burnbarrow
Wood on the Holker Mosses Road with our timber extraction highland pony Corrie.

Corrie was working well in the wood and had a variety of different local fields to graze when not working as well as fenced paddocks and shelters in the wood. We also had a visit from a BBC Radio Cumbria reporter who was very impressed with Corrie’s pulling power as well as giving some good publicity for locally made barbecue charcoal.

We now had 2 charcoal kilns and with our first one remaining on its original purpose made location the second one was used on 2 different sites in the wood
to be nearer to where the timber was being cut to reduce the timber extraction journeys. Charcoal being our major product and being only one fifth of the weight of the original timber, was easier to move, especially by vehicle, than the timber.

One extra site was further along the wood on the track which we believe was the original route along the Leven valley floor just below the steep rise up the hills to the east. We called the site Holly Hollow after the local growth and its setting. The other was up the hillside on another old track to a very pleasant flat area with a beautiful view across the valley. Just behind our kiln site was the remains of the foundation of an old charcoal burner’s hut with a substantial stone fireplace. Adjacent to it was an area used as the charcoal pitstead (charcoal remains were found) although obviously not revetted because the ground was naturally flat. Many other revetted pitsteads were found in the woods which were obviously used extensively in the past for charcoal production.

As well as barbecue charcoal which we were supplying to local B&Q stores in the summer months through the Bioregional Charcoal Company scheme they had arranged for us to supply firewood during the winter. Local garages owned by BP were also included in the BRCC scheme. We also had a number of other customers of our own for this useful product as well as our own use for it. Lots of other new coppice products like besom brooms and bird boxes and feeders were starting to be made which were mainly sold at country shows to which we were being invited. One show was an Edwardian Festival on Grange promenade when we had to dress as old time charcoal makers to fit the scene. Other products were sold to visitors to us in the wood. One particular group were Beaver scouts from Grange who then invited us to one of their evening meetings to which we took a quantity of bundles of birch and hazel rods so that each of the Beavers were able to make their own besom broom or Harry Potter flier.

Charcoal making courses were continuing to be run for Cumbria Broadleaves, as they were then called, and an interesting new customer for charcoal was the Tandoori Restaurant in Ulverston who were still using charcoal for their tandoori cooking. They particularly wanted large charcoal pieces. Meetings with the British Charcoal Group were continuing which I was then attending with Edward Mills from Cumbria Broadleaves after his takeover of its project management from Richard Pow. The main topic at that time was the possible amalgamation of the BCG with the Forestry Contracting Association after its support from the Forestry Commission was being terminated. A minor discussion at one of the meetings was the possible toxicity of charcoal made from rhododendron. No firm conclusion was ever reached but the information that it was used as the main domestic fuel in the Himalayas was significant. An amalgamation with the FCA was finally reached with the formation of the British Charcoal & Coppice Specialist Group of the FCA which did some very useful work for a few years.

Later in 1997 however, we realised that in Burnbarrow Wood we were not coppicing. During one of the Bioregional Charcoal Company’s assessment visits, checking our charcoal quality and sustainable woodland management criteria we saw the management plan for the wood, “converting to high forest”. The mainly singling and thinning we had been doing began to make sense. We also realised that the owners to whom we were paying a quarterly rental were also being paid a grant from the Forestry Commission to have the work carried out. Louise, who was doing all the extraction work with Corrie, was also suffering from the 45 degree gradient. We had heard that people were crying out for coppice workers, perhaps this was now the time to look for a new work location.

One major item needing to be cleared from Burnbarrow was a large cache of charcoal fines (now called biochar). A few large sacks were sold to local garden centres as horticultural charcoal and the rest was being moved to our son-in- law’s farm to mix with his midden when Sylvia Watthews appeared in our wood asking if we had any charcoal fines for sale! Sylvia had established one of the first new charcoal businesses in south Cumbria and had sold it a few years later with the prospect of buying the charcoal fines from the new operator to service a regular order she had organised with the Edinburgh Royal Horticultural Society.

That year had not gone to plan with the charcoal fines supply and she was looking for a new source. You can imagine our amazement and response! She took 250Kg that year and also each subsequent year that we were working.

We were then looking for a new workbase!

Other news/opportunities/Events

Tool bank at Sprint Mill A reminder that the extensive tool bank at Sprint Mil lis available for members to use. All the details of what’s available can be found here and any enquiries or questions can be directed to Edward Acland on 01539 725168 or 07806 065602 or E-mail [email protected]

Thatching Spars
Kit Davis of Master Thatching is looking to work with coppicers to produce thatching spars, as there is a shortage currently. He sent this update:

“Last October I attended the NCFed conference at Silverdale and then met up with Twiggy, Lorna and Helen a week later to talk spars. Since then SPAB (Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings) has facilitated quarterly meetings looking at improving the supply of English spars to the thatching craft as part of a sustainable buildings program. The meetings include representatives from National Trust, Heritage England, Heritage Crafts, Small woodland Owners Group, NCFed and the National Society of Master Thatchers. Although still in its infancy part of the action plan is likely to be holding seminars/training days around the country. Hopefully the first seminar will be held in April and then repeated at suitable locations around the country as and when.”

He also suggested a Cumbria based seminar, so anyone interested in hosting this, or in anything else thatching related can contact him by email here.

New Chair and Treasurer needed!
CANW are looking to recruit a new chair and treasurer. It is expected that these roles would take between 1 and 2 days a month and could be a paid or voluntary role. The chair would need to be able to attend monthly CANW meetings, usually held in the South Lakes. If you are interested in taking on either of these roles, or just to find out more, please contact Duncan Goulder by email here.

That’s all for this newsletter, I hope you’ve enjoyed reading and thank you to everyone who sent in contributions. If you have anything you’d like to be included in the next edition, please do send details my way!

Head over to MailChimp to view the latest addition of the CANW Newsletter:

https://mailchi.mp/a7301d0ce145/a-quick-hello-and-a-story-of-earthburns-12683003?e=f13c6a5272

Month: February 2024

NCFed Newsletter

Trouble in the Woods – The new ‘Locust Years’ & the destruction of ancient woodland heritage in the UK

Winter 23/24 Newsletter Out Now