I tracked them down and have placed them below for folks to download. I had a great chat with her and she mentioned that they had a ton of resources on coppice agroforestry that they had produced. Not too long ago, I was speaking at the Organic Connections conference and there was a representative from the Canadian Agroforestry Research Farm at Indian Head, Saskatchewan. They include Caragana, Manitoba maple, Green Ash, Willow (105 species) and Elm. In Canada we can grow a number of different trees that can be cut and grow back. The curve may allow the identification of coppice timber in archaeological sites-timber in the Sweet Track in Somerset (built in the winter of 38 BC) has been identified as coppiced lime. This curve occurs as the competing stems grow out from the stool in the early stages of the cycle, then up towards the sky as the canopy closes. Ĭoppiced stems are characteristically curved at the base. The age of a stool may be estimated from its diameter, and some are so large-perhaps as much as 5.4 metres (18 ft) across-that they are thought to have been continuously coppiced for centuries. Birch can be coppiced for faggots (bundles of brushwood) on a three- or four-year cycle, whereas oak can be coppiced over a fifty-year cycle for poles or firewood.Ĭoppicing maintains trees at a juvenile stage, and a regularly coppiced tree will never die of old age-some coppice stools may therefore reach immense ages. The cycle length depends upon the species cut, the local custom, and the use to which the product is put. Coppicing has the effect of providing a rich variety of habitats, as the woodland always has a range of different-aged coppice growing in it, which is beneficial for biodiversity. In this way, a crop is available each year somewhere in the woodland. Typically a coppiced woodland is harvested in sections or coups on a rotation. In subsequent growth years, many new shoots will emerge, and, after a number of years the coppiced tree, or stool, is ready to be harvested, and the cycle begins again. In a coppiced wood, young tree stems are repeatedly cut down to near ground level. “ Coppicing is a traditional method of woodland management which takes advantage of the fact that many trees make new growth from the stump or roots if cut down. Here is a great Wikipedia definition on coppicing: Setting up these types of systems within our cities and farms would be a way of preventing this as well as providing bee fodder, bird habitat and windbreaks. As mentioned in my wood gasification article, if we all moved over to burning wood for heat and power, we would deforest the planet in a matter of years. These conifers are cut once and then die. This is quite different from the type of forestry we practice here in Canada with spruce, fir, and pine trees. In other words, the tree is cut and grows back. The home has two vehicles, which are used for local travel and a variety of recreational and educational day trips.Coppicing has always been interesting to me as a wood production system (fuel, timber) because it uses trees that can be cut perpetually. Everyone is offered privacy and safety, whilst still enjoying a place in the local community. They enjoy organised activities including cooking and baking, gardening, swimming, keep fit, pool and film nights. Residents appreciate a minimalist approach to their environment and structure to their day.
The bungalow next door has a living/dining room area next to a spacious conservatory, as well as two bathrooms and a separate training kitchen. There is plenty of communal space for relaxation and activities, including a spacious lounge, a computer room, an activity room for arts and crafts, a sensory room, kitchen and dining room. The main house is stone-built and set in safe, peaceful, landscaped grounds at the end of a long driveway. The home supports up to twelve men with learning disabilities, autistic spectrum conditions, Asperger’s Syndrome, Down Syndrome and complex emotional and behavioural needs.Ĭoppice House is divided into three accommodation areas, with seven bedrooms in the main house, four in an adjoining bungalow and an additional one-bed, self-contained annexe, designed for someone who benefits from a more tailored support environment.
Coppice House is a large, detached home set in 4.5 acres of peaceful Gloucestershire countryside near the Forest of Dean, just five miles from Gloucester city centre.
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