What is Coppicing?

Coppicing is a traditional form of woodland management that has shaped many of the remaining semi-natural woodlands in the UK. A coppiced wood is cut periodically, and the trees allowed to regrow from the cut stumps (stools). Regrowth can be very fast, often as much as two metres in a year. Numerous shoots or poles are produced rather than one main stem. Woods that have not been coppiced tend to be the same age and structure, supporting fewer species.

Coppicing provides an environmentally sustainable source of wood because periodic cutting actually prolongs the life of the tree. It also creates a rich mosaic of habitats, attracting a wide range of flora and fauna. Many of the oldest trees in British woods (some over 1,000 years old) are coppiced or pollarded.

The practice of coppicing dates back to Neolithic times. Evidence suggests the Romans coppiced large areas of the Wealdon woodlands to fuel their iron works. Later, records in the Domesday Book of 1086 show that coppicing was widespread in lowland England. By the Middle Ages short-rotation (every six years) coppice was the most common form of woodland management.

Traditionally woods were divided into compartments. These were cut in rotation. Each compartment would contain an 'underwood' which was coppiced, and scattered 'standards' or timber trees. The underwood storey can be dominated by one, or contain a mix of species such as hazel, alder, ash, crab apple, field maple, oak, goat willow, small-leaved lime, sweet chestnut and wych elm, beech and hornbeam. The species and intended market dictate how often the coppice is cut.

Underwood was a valuable product so little was wasted. Building and fencing materials and firewood were the most common uses, with the twigs used as faggots, but also the supple young shoots were used for hedging. Whole or split sallow or hazel rods were interwoven to form the 'wattle' used to fill in the panels of timber-framed buildings.

The craft of coppicing has been in decline since the demand for coppice products began to falter last century. By 1965, the area of coppiced woodland was a low as 30,000 hectares. The recent modest revival is mainly due to conservation organisations efforts to preserve historical heritage, rich wildlife habitat and rural crafts associated with coppicing. Now an increasing number of commercial, statutory and voluntary bodies are exploring the economics of coppice products. Derelict woodlands have little timber value but with the market for coppice products growing - the future looks good for bringing them back under management.