Just bought a wood... « Singletrack Forum

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Just bought a wood...

38 posts & 23 voices | Started 5 months ago by Shibboleth | Latest reply from Shibboleth

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Shibboleth - Member

Just had an offer accepted on a wooded valley with a stream running though it. Oh, and it has a house in there too, but I'm more interested in the woodland!

The wood covers about half an acre so isn't really big enough for a bike trail, but I'm really looking forward to getting stuck in to a bit of path building and "managing" to make a good place for my ever-expanding tribe of nephews and nieces to play in.

It's a steep terraced escarpment with a level glade at the bottom, so will really lend itself to a bit of subtle landscaping whilst leaving mother nature to take care of the majority of the work.

Can anyone recommend any good websites, books or other resources about gardening and managing this type of terrain? Any advice from people with similar land or experiences would be fantastic...

Cheers!

Posted 5 months ago #
boxelder - Member

See what the Woodland Trust can do for you

Posted 5 months ago #
matt_outandabout - Member

Stream you say? mmm, micro hydro = new bike bits

Posted 5 months ago #
philconsequence - Member

awesome

if you've seen what Jedi has built in such a small space you should have no problems thinking of some trail ideas for the land!

Posted 5 months ago #
jamiec360 - Member

Definitely interested in how you get on. Myself and a few mates have been looking at doing the same good luck with it!

Posted 5 months ago #
Shibboleth - Member

The thought did cross my mind Matt! It fairly rips through, so would power a turbine no probs!

Cheers Boxelder, I'm definitely going to join...

Posted 5 months ago #
Shibboleth - Member

philconsequence - Member
if you've seen what Jedi has built in such a small space you should have no problems thinking of some trail ideas for the land!

As anyone who rides with me knows, I don't do 'shore!!!

Posted 5 months ago #
philconsequence - Member

no need to do shore granted Jedi's shore is intimidatingly impressive, but pump tracks, single track skills sections that flow together, table tops and drops etc can all be squeezed into a small space....

any plans for the house that's in there? tattoo studio perhaps?

Posted 5 months ago #
Shibboleth - Member

The house will be home to me and my bikes! I'll upload some pics of the wood...

Posted 5 months ago #
Shibboleth - Member

Posted 5 months ago #
spooky_b329 - Member

Stream + hydro = water extraction license? aka £££?

Posted 5 months ago #
titusrider - Member

my parents have one in sussex, these guys have been really helpful and more applicable for your size wood.

http://www.smallwoods.org.uk/

This is theirs

http://www.swog.org.uk/news/hendall-wood-east-sussex-by-duncan-and-bridget/

Posted 5 months ago #
Sue_W - Member

For info on woodland management, traditional woodland uses, and improving woods for wildlife - contact BTCV, or start with their 'practical handbook' on woodlands:

http://shop.btcv.org.uk/shop/level2/59/stock/957

(they'll also be able to help with guidance on creating natural looking paths / steps etc)

Looks like a beautiful spot - I'm sure you and your bikes will be very happy there

Posted 5 months ago #
Shibboleth - Member

Titusrider, that looks amazing! Thanks for the link, Sue too, that looks like it might be a great help...

Posted 5 months ago #
matt_outandabout - Member

For micro hydro stuff, head to http://www.navitron.org.uk/category.php?catID=70

Posted 5 months ago #
matt_outandabout - Member

spooky_b329 - Member

Stream + hydro = water extraction license? aka £££?

Depending on size, you can get one for £15

Posted 5 months ago #
yunki - Member

what about some nice dreadlocked, pierced and heavily tattooed environmental protesters to make sure that you don't mess it up..?

Posted 5 months ago #
nbt - Member

Looks great. Would love to find a place like that but round here (south east of manchester so prime commuter territory, it's s 30 minute train reide to town) it would be upwards of half a million and there's no way we could afford that. Hope you have fun with it!

Posted 5 months ago #
Shibboleth - Member

Yunki, sorry, you know my employment policy regarding tattoos!!

NBT, it was quite a find - I recently had a similar house purchase fall through which was very disappointing, but this place is far better, so I'm chuffed to bits!

This place is Ribble Valley, so 15 minute ride to some great Pennine hills and fells, 50 mins from the lakes and half an hour to Manc. Should be moving in mid Jan... Sooo excited about seeing the woods evolve through spring and summer, it's going to be brilliant!

Posted 5 months ago #
nbt - Member

Rible valley's lovely. lucky you.

*even jealouser*

Posted 5 months ago #
Shibboleth - Member

I love the area, and plenty of good riding close at hand, so I'm not hell-bent on creating my own little trail centre. I'm thinking more along the lines of a summer house like this, natural-looking steps and paths, fire pit, tidy up the banks of the brooks so the kids can dip nets for minnows etc... Plenty of birdboxes, low fencing so the deer can continue to mooch round. It's going to be magical!

Posted 5 months ago #
slowoldgit - Member

Another vote for BTCV, and you might need to think again about the deer, once they've eaten all the regrowth and the stuff you've planted.

Coppicing by BTCV
Woodlands by Oliver Rackham, all you need to know about deer damage

Posted 5 months ago #
CountZero - Member

Seriously tasty, I'm very envious. Re: the abstraction license, I can't understand why it's called abstraction, when the water is flowing through and driving a turbine, not being pumped out and used for irrigation.

Posted 5 months ago #
Shibboleth - Member

Just been for another mooch round, there's a waterfall with arouns 5ft drop into a pool, so there's certainly potential to do something like a micro hydro.

Might be something to look into in the future! Plenty more jobs to be cracking on with...

Posted 5 months ago #
richmars - Member

Good luck, we've had small wood for a few years, it's hard work but very rewarding. Also worrying; when it's windy you worry about trees blowing down, or forest fires in the summer!
Also the worry about looking after it correctly, so you can pass it on in a better condition then you received it.

Posted 5 months ago #
_tom_ - Member

Make a dirt jump and pump track

Posted 5 months ago #
grantway - Member

Nice purchase !
Where in England

Posted 5 months ago #
duntmatter - Member

Ewok Village!

Posted 5 months ago #
Shibboleth - Member

Grant, it's Ribble Valley in Lancashire.

I did think about a jump/pump area, but really, I'd like to keep it as natural looking as possible and make it a nice place for the kids to explore and play.

Posted 5 months ago #
lump - Member

Ewok Village!

Posted 5 months ago #
grantway - Member

Shibboleth - Member
Grant, it's Ribble Valley in Lancashire.

Its very nice should be well chuffed

Posted 5 months ago #
TooTall - Member

For the micro hydro...

http://www.powerspout.com

One of the nicest little solutions I've ever seen.

Posted 5 months ago #
Kuco - Member

How does the nice little stream look in a torrential down poor? Amazing how quaint little brooks in summer can become raging torrents in floods/heavy rain.

BTW it looks very nice

Posted 5 months ago #
SaxonRider - Member

I am, possibly for the first time in my life, genuinely jealous. Congratulations, and may you enjoy it for many years.

Posted 5 months ago #
gator - Member

Looks great

Just found one not too far from us - wife has said NO

Posted 5 months ago #