Coppicing is an ancient tradition of woodland care, shaped over thousands of years by people working in rhythm with the natural cycle of the trees.
At its heart, coppicing is the regular cutting back of trees and shrubs in a sustainable cycle. Once cut, Hazel and Ash send up fresh shoots from the stump, or "stool", creating a new crop of straight poles every seven to twelve years. These are gathered for a host of traditional crafts, from stakes and binders for hedge laying to wattle hurdles, pea and bean sticks, and charcoal.
Regular coppicing opens the woodland canopy, letting sunlight spill onto the forest floor and welcoming a rich variety of plants and wildlife.
Ancient semi-natural woodlands are a precious part of our heritage, offering a rich home to a remarkable range of plants and animals. For many woodland species, these places are essential to their survival.
Reviving Grandad's Woods
Top Lock Farm's own woodland—known to the family as Grandad's Woods—carries generations of family memory. For over fifty years, this coppice has rested undisturbed, left to grow wild and dense without the careful management that once shaped it. The trees grew thick and tangled, the canopy closed tight, and the woodland began to lose the vitality it once held.
In 2024, we made the decision to return to these old ways. We began the work of restoring the coppice, cutting back the overgrown growth and allowing the woodland to breathe again. The response has been remarkable. Already, fresh green shoots are pushing through from the stools—a visible promise that the woodland is awakening. Each new stem represents not just the future of sustainable harvesting, but the return of light, space, and life to a woodland that had grown weary under decades of neglect.
This revival is more than practical work in the forest. It is a reconnection with the knowledge and rhythm that sustained Grandad's Woods through the generations before, and a commitment to keeping that living tradition alive for those who come after.