The Plan for Long Lane Plantation
Long Lane plantation is a twenty three acre woodland at Standen Heath. Although the name plantation suggests a recent planting the wood was in fact planted in the late seventeen hundreds. The main species were Oak, Ash, and Sweet chestnut with Hazel under planting. A classic coppice woodland. By the late fifties early sixties management was in the hands of the Forestry Commission and as was their policy they planted blocks of conifers, Monterey Pine, Corsican Pine and Douglas Fir being the predominate species. After planting the wood was abandoned and left unmanaged.
In early 2003 Geoff and Sue Hughes bought the plantation and were determined regenerate it to its former glory. By this time the wood was in a pretty sorry state, the under storey was dead, the conifers were tall and spindly and of little commercial value. There was however one bright side. As the wood adjoined Staplers Copse which was ancient woodland many of the ancient woodland indicator plants were present.
It was time to bring in the experts, especially as the only suggestion for regeneration had been to chop down the trees bulldoze them to the centre of the wood and burn them. There had to be a better way. Hugh Milner of the Forestry Commission was brought in and Richard Grogan of Wight Wildlife was asked to draw up a management plan. It was at this point that fate stepped in and led Geoff and Sue to engage the services of Paul and Danny Horne to implement the management plan. Paul had just won a prestigious Environmental award for his work in a local woodland at Fatting Park. A better choice could not have been made and by the summer of 2004 work had started. It was then that the true cost of the regeneration became apparent.
Traditionally timber is logged and carted to the mainland for pulping the price paid for that timber in no way covers the cost of felling and snedding (removing the branches) meaning that many woodlands on the island are neglected. The decision was made to bring in the machinery that could convert the waste timber into saleable products.
We are a small island with plenty of timber resources in fact the Forestry Commission suggested a ball park figure of 20,000 tons per year of sustainable timber and yet we are importing Kindling, Woodchip, and Wood Mulch.
It just doesn’t make sense. With this enterprise we not only have a chance to improve the environment and biodiversity of the woodland, but also help to make the island self-sufficient in certain timber products.
We started marketing products from Wood End early in 2006 and are gradually building a strong consumer base. The main products are Kindling, Woodchip and Wood mulch as well as providing a mobile milling and stump grinding service. As the only producer of clean woodchip on the Isle of Wight we are in a unique position to supply the growing interest in Biomass CHP boilers. We work closely with many of the islands tree surgeons processing their waste wood, and while the words “environmental and sustainability” are much over used, in this particular operation they are most apt.
For more information contact Danny Horne on 07778-422044
