0:00:02 > 0:00:04Britain was once an island of trees.
0:00:04 > 0:00:09For 10,000 years, they have shaped our landscapes.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11And we were once a woodland people.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15We managed our forests carefully, cutting and coppicing,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18and they thrived under our care.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21But forestry has changed.
0:00:23 > 0:00:24In the last century,
0:00:24 > 0:00:27plantations have replaced many of our woods.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31Others have been deemed unprofitable and abandoned.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34Can they survive in the 21st century?
0:00:36 > 0:00:39Writer and woodsman Rob Penn believes so.
0:00:42 > 0:00:43Here we go.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45And for the next year, he is taking over
0:00:45 > 0:00:48part of Strawberry Cottage Wood -
0:00:48 > 0:00:5150 acres of unmanaged woodland in South Wales.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Oh, my God, I feel like I'm going into the jungle!
0:00:55 > 0:01:00Can he bring this forgotten forest back to life again?
0:01:03 > 0:01:07After ten months, Rob's time in Strawberry Cottage Wood
0:01:07 > 0:01:09is drawing to a close.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13He gets a final assessment on his conservation work...
0:01:13 > 0:01:15We can really see the difference,
0:01:15 > 0:01:16we can see to the top of the slope now.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19..sees the return of the timber he cut in winter...
0:01:19 > 0:01:22They are exquisitely beautiful.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26..and learns what his woodland could look like in years to come.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29- It feels alive and vital again, doesn't it?- It certainly does.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32Has he done enough to secure the future of his wood?
0:01:32 > 0:01:38Any stump you chose to look at, they're thrusting new shoots back.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49It is July in Strawberry Cottage Wood.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53Over the summer, Rob has been working hard,
0:01:53 > 0:01:56trying to make a profit from the timber he cut in the winter.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59After success making charcoal,
0:01:59 > 0:02:04he's decided to dip his toe into an altogether different market.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08These are the hazel poles that came down during the coppicing
0:02:08 > 0:02:14in the winter and we're now just cutting them
0:02:14 > 0:02:15to eight-foot lengths
0:02:15 > 0:02:18and we're going to take them down the garden centre
0:02:18 > 0:02:19and try to flog them.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22These are Rob's last months in Strawberry Cottage wood.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25Over the next six weeks,
0:02:25 > 0:02:27he must plan the long term future of the wood
0:02:27 > 0:02:31and market his remaining timber to balance the books.
0:02:31 > 0:02:36And there we have a bundle of five beanpoles.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39They're not very straight and...
0:02:41 > 0:02:43..I'm not sure if I'd buy them.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56Hazel beanpoles were once ubiquitous,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59but they have been replaced by Chinese bamboo.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Rob will face an uphill battle to attract a buyer.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11- Mr McDonald?- Yes? - Hello. My name's Robert Penn and...
0:03:11 > 0:03:16- Hello.- ..I have come here to try and sell you some beanpoles.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18They are locally sourced,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21they're cut from a wood on Hateral Hill,
0:03:21 > 0:03:22which I'm managing,
0:03:22 > 0:03:25and I was wondering if you might be interested in selling them
0:03:25 > 0:03:27in your shop.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30I'm not very sure. Um...
0:03:30 > 0:03:33- Would you like to put them on the bench in the room here?- Yes.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36And we'll have a little look at them and see what...
0:03:36 > 0:03:40and see what we can make of them and see what we want for them.
0:03:40 > 0:03:41Great, thank you.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44Neil MacDonald runs Abergavenny's largest
0:03:44 > 0:03:46independent garden centre.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48But like many of Britain's garden centres,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51most of what he sells has been imported from abroad.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Locally sourced products are now virtually unheard of.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59It's years and years
0:03:59 > 0:04:01since I had anything to do with anything like this.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04- I've never sold them in my life before.- Really?
0:04:04 > 0:04:05No.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08It's got some kinks and bumps and what have you,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11but as long as they stay up and they support the crop,
0:04:11 > 0:04:15that would be the...the criteria.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19Coming to me for say £2.50 for the bundle of five.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23- Yeah.- 50p and me trying to get something like...
0:04:25 > 0:04:27- ..£4.50, £4.80 for them.- Yep.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Would that be fair?
0:04:29 > 0:04:31- That sounds fair.- Yeah, yeah. - That sounds fair.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33Thank you.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35An encouraging sign,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38probably the best sign.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40You know, if you extrapolate this a few years,
0:04:40 > 0:04:41maybe there could be something here.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Maybe you could be bringing a few thousand beanpoles here.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46in spring and selling them.
0:04:46 > 0:04:53And that suddenly sounds like a part of a reasonable income of a wood.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00beanpoles, locally sourced.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Let's see how they go.
0:05:02 > 0:05:07Neil has only got the beanpoles on a sale or return basis.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11If nobody wants them, then Rob will have to trek back and pick them up.
0:05:13 > 0:05:18Finding customers is the key to his beanpole empire.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20What a delightful moment. Mr McDonald,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23he has undertaken to try and sell some. Goodness knows
0:05:23 > 0:05:25if it'll go anywhere, but if it does...
0:05:25 > 0:05:28Someone's trying to buy some.
0:05:28 > 0:05:29I don't believe it.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33I'm going to head over there.
0:05:35 > 0:05:40Hi there. Sorry I just saw you looking at the hazel beanpoles.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43- Yeah.- Are you interested in buying some?- Yes, absolutely.
0:05:43 > 0:05:44Good Lord, how fantastic!
0:05:44 > 0:05:47What would you be using them for when you got them home?
0:05:47 > 0:05:50- To put my beans in. - To put your beans in, brilliant.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52Much better than bamboo. It's our native tree, isn't it?
0:05:52 > 0:05:54Yeah, absolutely, yeah.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56So, this is incredibly exciting to me
0:05:56 > 0:05:58because I've just brought these and delivered them
0:05:58 > 0:06:01to the shop, to the nursery,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04in the hope that someone might be interested in buying them.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07- Yeah?- And, of course, I didn't think anyone was going to,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10but you might be interested in taking them.
0:06:10 > 0:06:11They're in bundles of five.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Yeah, I'm very pleased to have stumbled across them.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15- I need about 20.- Is that right? - Yeah.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Oh, gosh, great. Thank you very much.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20- That's OK. Let's have a rummage through.- Great.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26I can't believe it, he wants to buy 20.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30He's taking a quarter, which is incredibly exciting.
0:06:30 > 0:06:35First customer bought my beanpoles!
0:06:39 > 0:06:43In the weeks that follow, word spreads from the garden centre.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47Calls come in from Cardiff and Swansea markets
0:06:47 > 0:06:50and a local allotment group even arrives with an order for a 100.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Thanks very much, sir.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56- Thank you.- Cheers, mate.- Fantastic.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58- See you again very soon.- Hope so.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06I'm surprised to say it, but...another happy customer.
0:07:06 > 0:07:11By the end of the month, Rob has earned an extra £250,
0:07:11 > 0:07:15but as August arrives and the hazelnuts ripen,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18an old friend returns to Strawberry Cottage Wood
0:07:18 > 0:07:20with some even more valuable timber.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23- Very good indeed.- Excellent.- Got some chairs for you.- Oh, terrific!
0:07:23 > 0:07:25Well, I tell you what, if you just bring them up
0:07:25 > 0:07:28- to the barn there and we'll put them in the barn.- Smashing.- Fantastic.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30Back in February,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Rob cut down a large ash tree in his wood.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37He invited three of Britain's leading wood workers in
0:07:37 > 0:07:39to carve it up.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43David Colwell, a furniture maker, bought one of the stems
0:07:43 > 0:07:47and over the summer, he's been designing a new type of chair.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51After six months' work, he finally has a finished product.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54These are magnificent!
0:07:54 > 0:07:58- You've got to try sitting on one. - OK!
0:07:58 > 0:08:01- Ah! And they are... - Comfy, aren't they?
0:08:01 > 0:08:04- Exceedingly comfortable. - See, it's the spring.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07- Is that what it is? - Well, that's part of it.- Part of it.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Yeah, because you get the spring with the ash.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14- Lovely white colour, lovely white colour.- Yeah.
0:08:14 > 0:08:19David uses a process of steam bending to shape the wood,
0:08:19 > 0:08:21creating unique designs that celebrate the strength
0:08:21 > 0:08:23and flexibility of ash timber.
0:08:23 > 0:08:28Each one of these chairs will sell for £500.
0:08:30 > 0:08:31These were prototypes
0:08:31 > 0:08:34for the Church of England competition
0:08:34 > 0:08:37for stacking-linking chairs for churches.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41And it's been a real pleasure to use this timber, actually.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44It's been very nice, very nice indeed.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48David they look exquisite.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52Good, good. I think to a point what happens with vernacular traditions
0:08:52 > 0:08:55- is that if they work really well... - Yeah.- ..they look pretty good...
0:08:55 > 0:08:57- Yes.- And you can kind of tell.
0:08:57 > 0:09:02If it doesn't look right, chances are you've got something wrong.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05David I can't thank you enough for bringing these chairs to show me.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08It sort of broadens my mind as to the potential...
0:09:08 > 0:09:09- Of the material?- Yeah.
0:09:09 > 0:09:10Yes, yes.
0:09:10 > 0:09:16Well, thank you very much also, it's been very good to do it.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23David agrees to take more wood next year and buoyed by his visit,
0:09:23 > 0:09:27Rob sets off to find out how the other wood workers have fared.
0:09:27 > 0:09:32Ralph Curtis, the bowl maker, is still waiting for his timber to dry,
0:09:32 > 0:09:35but John Lloyd, who bought most of the main trunk,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38is ready to put Rob's timber under the saw.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41- John.- Hello, Rob.- How are you? - Not too bad, my friend, yourself?
0:09:41 > 0:09:44- Very good, thank you. Nice to see you.- Good to see you again.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Well, this is your timber.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49- Is it? Great. - Day of reckoning is upon us.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52We've had it from you, it's gone into the mill.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55The guys in the mill have planked it out to the dimensional thicknesses.
0:09:55 > 0:09:56Great.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59The next little thing is we'll put it on the machines
0:09:59 > 0:10:01- and we'll see what we can get for you.- OK, good.
0:10:01 > 0:10:06John uses the first plank of Rob's timber to mill
0:10:06 > 0:10:08baseball bats for the American market.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11He also works with Britain's biggest tool companies, providing
0:10:11 > 0:10:15handles for everything from pitchforks to boathooks.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19After an hour of work, he is able to show Rob exactly
0:10:19 > 0:10:23what can be sawn from Strawberry Cottage Wood timber.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25- Hi, John.- Hi, Rob.
0:10:25 > 0:10:26How we doing?
0:10:26 > 0:10:30Well, this is just a little example of the sort of products
0:10:30 > 0:10:34- that we could get from the good timber that you brought in.- Amazing!
0:10:34 > 0:10:36We've got croquet mallets, we've got cricket stumps,
0:10:36 > 0:10:39baseball bats, all top quality, sports-grade ash
0:10:39 > 0:10:42and then as the ash or your timber varies,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45we can put it into different markets.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49The idea is really to utilize as much as you can from the log
0:10:49 > 0:10:52- to turn it into revenue.- Yeah.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56The timber which you've supplied, some of it is absolutely beautiful.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00I mean, there's your baseball bat, OK? Look at the grain,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03it's fantastically white, it's well grown.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05I mean, that is top quality sports ash.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09- And here's a piece of material we're buying from the States.- Yep.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12Now, that also is nice, perhaps not as white as yours,
0:11:12 > 0:11:16a little bit browner, but it really sort of beggars
0:11:16 > 0:11:19the question that we could, if there was infrastructure,
0:11:19 > 0:11:23we could actually source the raw material from Great Britain.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27John imports 90% of his ash from abroad.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30But the quality of what Britain could produce
0:11:30 > 0:11:33is as good as anywhere in the world.
0:11:33 > 0:11:34And in one of Rob's planks,
0:11:34 > 0:11:38John has found timber suitable for the top level of sport.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50Here you are Rob, this is some raw material which came from your woods.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53It does meet the International Standard.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56We manufactured them in accordance to those regulations.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58They're more than good enough,
0:11:58 > 0:12:02timber's grown in Great Britain, fabulous product, go and use it.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05Fantastic. Great! OK, OK.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10When I began working in Strawberry Cottage Wood almost ten months ago,
0:12:10 > 0:12:14never in my wildest dreams did I think that I'd be standing here
0:12:14 > 0:12:17with a bunch of international quality cricket stumps
0:12:17 > 0:12:20made from ash from MY wood.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22This is profoundly satisfying.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28But John's present comes with responsibilities.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31He supplies stumps to the MCC
0:12:31 > 0:12:35and has nominated Rob's timber for the next England match.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39So, John Lloyd has got these stumps not just any cricket match
0:12:39 > 0:12:41but into a One-Day International,
0:12:41 > 0:12:45the One-Day International between England and South Africa in Cardiff.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49It is Wales' most important cricket match of the year.
0:12:49 > 0:12:56And under no circumstances do I want these stumps to be rejected
0:12:56 > 0:12:59because the painting is flawed.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06The next morning, two hours before play starts,
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Rob arrives at Glamorgan Cricket Club.
0:13:09 > 0:13:10- Keith.- Hi, you must be Rob.- Yes.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13The paint has only just dried on the stumps as he delivers them
0:13:13 > 0:13:14to the head groundsman.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16They look a nice bit of ash.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19Sorry I'm a bit late.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32Over 15,000 people have turned up for the match.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35And Rob's stumps are centre of the show.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37Terrifically exciting.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41Just hope my stumps don't split.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58England get off to a flying start,
0:13:58 > 0:14:02but within minutes, the Welsh weather closes in.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05THUNDER
0:14:06 > 0:14:08Five very entertaining overs,
0:14:08 > 0:14:13but the rain has arrived and the players are off.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17The stumps weren't tested, which is probably a good thing,
0:14:17 > 0:14:21but it remains deeply satisfying that ash from my wood
0:14:21 > 0:14:24has been turned into International Standard cricket stumps
0:14:24 > 0:14:26and used here.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35The wet weather continues in Strawberry Cottage Wood.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37And whilst it might interrupt cricket,
0:14:37 > 0:14:40the rain is the lifeblood of the trees.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43After ten months of hard work,
0:14:43 > 0:14:47the areas Rob has been working in are finally starting to rejuvenate.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52This is the large ash tree that we cut down five months ago
0:14:52 > 0:14:56and back then, this area was a scene of total devastation.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Now, this ash is coming back to life.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01New shoots are growing again on almost any stump
0:15:01 > 0:15:04that you choose to look at in this wood.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08They're thrusting new shoots back, and this is the fundamental point
0:15:08 > 0:15:12about British woodlands - you cut our trees down and they grow again.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16When Rob took over the wood,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19his ambition was to bring it back to good health.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23He has worked to restore a balance between different species
0:15:23 > 0:15:25and encourage new growth.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27And with the year drawing to a close,
0:15:27 > 0:15:29the conservationist who helped him get it started
0:15:29 > 0:15:32is returning for a final visit.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34- Gareth.- Rob.- How are you?
0:15:34 > 0:15:37- I'm good, mate. Good to see you. - Good to see you, too.- Excellent.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39Welcome back, I'm very keen to show you around.
0:15:39 > 0:15:40Fantastic, let's go.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Gareth Ellis is the biodiversity officer
0:15:43 > 0:15:46for the Brecon Beacons National Park.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49He helped Rob set up his management plan and has advised him
0:15:49 > 0:15:50throughout the year.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55So, this is the area where we cleared a lot of the smaller trees
0:15:55 > 0:15:58and, as you can see, it's affected quite a big change.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01- It has. Big change from when I was here last.- Yeah.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03You've obviously done quite a lot of work here.
0:16:03 > 0:16:09You've taken out that layer of younger trees, the understory,
0:16:09 > 0:16:11and you've let so much more light in.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13In October last year,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16Gareth and Rob had battled through the lower part of the wood.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Alder and elder trees crowded the understory,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22making even the most basic woodland tasks impossible.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25I can't really see...I'm not sure where the fence line is.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28I'm a bit lost now.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Throughout the year, Rob cut back these smaller trees,
0:16:30 > 0:16:36allowing light in and giving space to the large oak and ash standards.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38We can really see the difference,
0:16:38 > 0:16:40we can see to the top of the slope now.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43In through the trees, great layers of ground cover,
0:16:43 > 0:16:47great re-growth of the coppice, all the way throughout the woodland,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50lots of light coming in, it's fantastic.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53The light on the forest floor has transformed the lower part
0:16:53 > 0:16:55of the wood.
0:16:55 > 0:16:56But in the upper section,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59where Rob has been restoring an abandoned hazel coppice,
0:16:59 > 0:17:01there is less positive news.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03An intruder has been at work.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07It does seem to see that they've lost some of their tops.
0:17:07 > 0:17:08- What here?- Yeah.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11So, I'm pretty sure some sheep have got in here.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14They could have come through here and done some real, real damage,
0:17:14 > 0:17:17and they'll undo your six months of hard winter work,
0:17:17 > 0:17:19they'll undo it in a morning.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22This is going to be your product in the future.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25And when it's at this stage, it's quite young and fragile.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29It's so important that you come back and monitor it and protect it,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32and you'll be doing this for the next few years.
0:17:32 > 0:17:33So ongoing management.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36It's ongoing, you've got to look after your product
0:17:36 > 0:17:38- all the way through its growth cycle.- Cool.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42Rob must fence off his hazel to keep it protected.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46Tasks like this cost money. And for his forest to survive
0:17:46 > 0:17:49in the long term, Rob must make a plan for the rest
0:17:49 > 0:17:50of Strawberry Cottage Wood.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53Now, you've got to really start thinking about your future.
0:17:53 > 0:17:58If we look at the rest of the wood, you've got 150 stools out here,
0:17:58 > 0:17:59still waiting to be cut.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02You can't go a year without income.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04You need to look at the wood, look at your products
0:18:04 > 0:18:07and start thinking how could I divide up the woodland
0:18:07 > 0:18:10so that there's always enough to harvest, enough to keep me busy
0:18:10 > 0:18:14and enough product to sell to keep me in business and still
0:18:14 > 0:18:18enough that I can come back round and start the whole process again.
0:18:18 > 0:18:19Great.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22You've started something, you've started something quite
0:18:22 > 0:18:25special here in the woodland, and it's now up to you to take
0:18:25 > 0:18:28that on forward and take that through for the next generations.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33The idea behind the project is to try and encourage people
0:18:33 > 0:18:37back into managing woods, but trees grow very slowly.
0:18:38 > 0:18:43You have to put your timescale into completely different footing.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47That's a great leap of faith, really, for modern people,
0:18:47 > 0:18:51but you do have to think in those terms
0:18:51 > 0:18:53because it doesn't happen this decade,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55it doesn't happen in my lifetime.
0:19:00 > 0:19:05Rob's work at Strawberry Cottage has improved its health,
0:19:05 > 0:19:07but our forests will only thrive
0:19:07 > 0:19:10if they are carefully managed over decades.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14Rob needs to find out how he can build on his first year
0:19:14 > 0:19:16and ensure the long-term survival of his wood.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25The following week he travels north, to the Malvern Hills, where one man
0:19:25 > 0:19:30has embarked on a project that might offer him some useful solutions.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Dave.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34Ah! Hi, Rob.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39- How you doing?- Very well, nice to see you.- Excellent.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41- Yes. Well welcome to Park Wood. - Thank you very much indeed.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45Dave Jackson has spent the last five years managing Park Wood,
0:19:45 > 0:19:47an ancient hazel coppice of a similar size
0:19:47 > 0:19:50to Strawberry Cottage Wood and which has been untouched
0:19:50 > 0:19:51for 50 years.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54So, what did it look like before you started, Dave?
0:19:54 > 0:19:56Pretty much like you can see all around here.
0:19:56 > 0:20:02It was very dark, there was predominately hazel understory
0:20:02 > 0:20:06and lots of oaks above it basically suppressing it.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10The plan, in terms of the future, is to grow top quality timber,
0:20:10 > 0:20:13top quality hazel rods, it's got to be a working wood,
0:20:13 > 0:20:14it's got to pay its way.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19- It's the only way to actually ensure a safe future of a woodland.- OK.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Dave runs a business selling woodland products
0:20:22 > 0:20:24to the local market.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27He's had to make all of his overgrown hazel trees turn a profit
0:20:27 > 0:20:32so that he can still be in business when the younger stems re-grow.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34So, here, Rob, we've got some examples
0:20:34 > 0:20:38of the primary products that I'm getting from the derelict coppice.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42Here we've got a very small, poor quality pile of timber,
0:20:42 > 0:20:44- which we convert it into charcoal. - Yeah.
0:20:44 > 0:20:49Here we have one of the oak butts, which is awaiting milling
0:20:49 > 0:20:53- and planking. You'd possibly get £700 for that.- OK.
0:20:53 > 0:20:54And here?
0:20:54 > 0:20:57This wood chip is all the twiggy tops, the brash,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00all the gnarly stuff just like the top of this oak tree,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03- this limb here, which has obviously recently fallen off.- Yeah.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07That can be chipped and it can be converted into biochar,
0:21:07 > 0:21:09which is essentially charcoal, very fine charcoal,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12which has historically been used as a soil conditioner.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14And in the context of this woodland, it gets me down
0:21:14 > 0:21:20to zero waste and also I can convert this into a carbon negative product.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25Dave has divided his wood into eight sections or coops.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27He clears one each year,
0:21:27 > 0:21:32and then returns after eight years to harvest a new crop of hazel rods.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34This scheme gives a year-round income
0:21:34 > 0:21:37and has had a profound effect on the health of the wood.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40So here we're in the second coop, the one we did
0:21:40 > 0:21:43the year prior to the first one we saw,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46and not only is the hazel getting bigger,
0:21:46 > 0:21:50but the striking difference here is the wild flowers.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53This is what Rob's wood should look like next year.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Dormant seeds have finally received sunlight
0:21:56 > 0:22:00and blossomed to create an incredible carpet of flowers.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03It feels alive and vital again doesn't it?
0:22:03 > 0:22:07It certainly does, but the beauty of this ancient system
0:22:07 > 0:22:11is that it ticks all the boxes, it's not just about growing
0:22:11 > 0:22:14hazel rods, it's all about the diversity of the wild flowers,
0:22:14 > 0:22:19the flora and fauna, which you encourage by doing that coppicing.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21These coops show the future potential
0:22:21 > 0:22:23for Strawberry Cottage Wood.
0:22:23 > 0:22:24And if Rob continues his work,
0:22:24 > 0:22:28his coppiced hazel trees will produce a valuable crop of timber.
0:22:29 > 0:22:34This is one of the earlier sections that we did in the wood.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38Here, the hazel is really, really starting to grow.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41If you look in there, that is from one old,
0:22:41 > 0:22:44very big derelict stool it would have been,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47and that is absolutely wonderful re-growth -
0:22:47 > 0:22:48there's many, many stems in there.
0:22:48 > 0:22:54I would expect the majority of those to actually grow into good rods,
0:22:54 > 0:22:58which can be used and be ploughed back into the rural economy.
0:22:58 > 0:22:59Fantastic.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01This is my future.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04I've got a family to support, I've got a wife, I've got four kids.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08I can't do this for fun, it's vital that it pays its way.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10But you don't do this just for the money. You know,
0:23:10 > 0:23:14you're not going to ever be a rich coppice worker.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17You don't see many woodland workers driving flash cars,
0:23:17 > 0:23:18just beat up Land Rovers.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21So, you've got to do it for the love of it,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24but, of course, you've got to provide a living.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26Very inspiring.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28Dave's a pretty inspiring guy,
0:23:28 > 0:23:32because so much of the work that he's undertaken here he's got right.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35And what he's done is he's proved that there is
0:23:35 > 0:23:41a balance, a balance between conservation and economic viability.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Strawberry Cottage Wood is behind.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47He's sort of three or four years ahead of me here,
0:23:47 > 0:23:51but what Dave shows is a positive boost
0:23:51 > 0:23:55to the idea that management of British woods can work.
0:23:55 > 0:24:00Dave's model is a template Rob can use in the coming years.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02His management will continue.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06But as the seasons begin to change in Strawberry Cottage Wood,
0:24:06 > 0:24:10he must prepare to return to life outside of his forest.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13A low-pressure system has just passed through
0:24:13 > 0:24:15the Black Mountains and after the torrential rain,
0:24:15 > 0:24:18we've now got very strong winds,
0:24:18 > 0:24:22which are curling the trees above me.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25And with that wind, comes the first sense of autumn
0:24:25 > 0:24:31and that brings a sense of melancholy.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36I've been working in the woods,
0:24:36 > 0:24:42and generally I come away with an overwhelming sense of contentment.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46It's a mainline to nature that you get
0:24:46 > 0:24:48when you're working in a wood all day.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56And, you know, I've come to sort of need
0:24:56 > 0:24:59that daily fix of...of Prozac.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14Rob will continue managing this wood long into the future.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17But he will do so with the help of the local woodland group.
0:25:17 > 0:25:22His last task is an important mark for the end of his first year.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24So, it's the end of August
0:25:24 > 0:25:28and I've decided to throw a party.
0:25:28 > 0:25:34And I'm putting a tent up and making the wood look shipshape
0:25:34 > 0:25:38because we've invited all of the people who've contributed
0:25:38 > 0:25:42advice and assistance to me over the course of the year.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45For 12 months, Rob's challenge has been to find
0:25:45 > 0:25:48a modern role for our woodlands.
0:25:48 > 0:25:54He has felled trees, planted saplings and sold timber products.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58But his work has only been possible because a large team of woodsmen
0:25:58 > 0:26:00and experts have offered help and advice.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04This is his chance to say thank you.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06- How you doing?- Yeah, good.
0:26:06 > 0:26:07Good to see you.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10- Hi, Dave.- How are you? - Good to see you.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12- Good to see you.- How are you keeping?
0:26:12 > 0:26:15- Wyndham, how are you, sir? Nice to see you.- And you, too.
0:26:15 > 0:26:2145 guests, from mountain bikers to sawmill owners have returned
0:26:21 > 0:26:25to enjoy a barbeque in a rejuvenated Strawberry Cottage Wood.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28So, what's really lovely about this is seeing all the faces,
0:26:28 > 0:26:32it's like having the whole year in fast forward.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35And some of these people I haven't seen for a good ten months,
0:26:35 > 0:26:36so it's really delightful.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45The food for the barbeque comes entirely from this wood,
0:26:45 > 0:26:49including all of the squirrels Rob trapped in the springtime.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58We're cooking on charcoal made in that kiln a couple of weeks ago.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01The sausages are all from Jacqueline, the sow we kept
0:27:01 > 0:27:04in the wood down there in the winter.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06The squirrels are, obviously, trapped right here, too.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09And this is some rather delicious sauce to go with the squirrels.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12And this is perry made from pears from my garden.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Chin-chin.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21Trees are a key to our quality of life.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25You only have to walk ten yards into a woodland
0:27:25 > 0:27:28to sense that there's a different spirit in the air.
0:27:29 > 0:27:34Our woods have a role in renewable bio fuels,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37in carbon sequestration. All of these things are important.
0:27:37 > 0:27:43If we lose them, then we lose the oldest relationship
0:27:43 > 0:27:46we have with the British landscape.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49And when those woods are gone, they're gone,
0:27:49 > 0:27:51and that relationship will be gone, as well.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56Our woods are a vital part of who we are.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00Rob has shown that managing them is not easy,
0:28:00 > 0:28:02but it can be done.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04Our future could well depend on them,
0:28:04 > 0:28:06just as our history is written in them.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08And for people like Rob,
0:28:08 > 0:28:12guaranteeing their survival will become a lifetime of work.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15So, this party marks the end of my first year managing this wood.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18Project managing the wood will go on for years,
0:28:18 > 0:28:23for decades possibly, but what this shows is that though there are
0:28:23 > 0:28:29many reasons to manage a wood, above all, all of them must encourage us
0:28:29 > 0:28:34back into using the woods and enjoying them for what they are.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd