Sourcing firewood yourself can save you a considerable amount of money. It can equate to keeping warm for free – just make sure you collect firewood safely, fairly and legally. The wood-burning stove season is still a few months away, but mid to late summer can be a great time to collect firewood. The weather is mainly fine, and while we have had a rather wet summer so far in the UK, we don’t face the same issues as when we are in the winter, namely freezing temperatures, muddy, waterlogged fields and woodlands, plus a great fewer daylight hours to venture out in search of wood.
Preparing Wood:
The process of sourcing and preparing firewood is easy this time of the year – the ground tends to be drier, as will be the wood you source – the sunlight and long days really help dry the wood out, although you will still need to season it once it’s stored. It just makes it much less of a messy job.
Own a Coppice?
If you have your own coppice, even if it’s as small as a 10m x 15m area, you can grow up to an incredible one tonne of wood every five years. If you burn 200kg of wood a year – which is more than enough for most homes for occasional use, you will have a sustainable, free source of heating. You would need to grow fast-growing trees such as willow, which may not be a perfect wood to burn; it is always an option. If you have a larger coppice, you can grow more wood, whereas slower-growing, more suitable firewood (such as various hardwoods) would be more of a viable option.
Is it legal to take wood from a woodland?
Over 13% of the UK’s land area is woodlands, equating to around 3.2 million hectares, or just under eight million acres. While exploring the various woodlands the UK has to offer, you may come across wood that will be perfect for your wood-burning stove.
But would it be legal to remove wood from a woodland? Not everyone is lucky enough to have their own coppice or woodland, and so these questions are often asked. The law states that everything in a wood belongs to the woodland owner. This includes trees, branches, leaves, and logs. Removing logs from a woodland without the permission of the land owner would be considered theft. Therefore, it is essential to have the consent of the woodland owner before you take any wood home with you.
Many landowners who perhaps have had their woodlands logged would often welcome someone to come along and remove the leftover wood – but do ask before you help yourself. Much of the leftover wood would make perfect firewood.
Whether you have your own coppice or plan to source wood from other areas, make sure you stay legal.
Collecting Firewood in Summer – Often Advantages:
Most people tend to search for wood when it gets colder, around October or November. But collecting wood in the summer means you could enjoy rich pickings before everyone else starts their search come autumn. Also, collecting wood now means you have a few months’ headstart over most for seasoning the wood.
Peace of mind is an advantage for many who are collecting wood at this time of the year. There is no urgent rush, and of course, you can combine your wood collection adventures with a number of leisurely visits to various woodlands over the summer. Perfect if you have young children who are bored in the summer holidays and you want a fun but cost-free outing.
