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Choose from the
Natural Building Experience, A Day in the Woods, Deadwood Screens,
Wattle and Daub, Intro to using Lime, Clay Selfies, Greenwood in
Building, Off-grid Compost Toilets ...
Ancient
Ash stool (possibly coppiced for hundreds of years)
Deadwood
screen constructed from brash (firewood and stakes stacked at base for
easy access)
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Tired but Happy
- 7th November 2018
I’ve
just got home from a fab day. You’ve guessed correctly. I’ve been
working with Orchard Barn Volunteers in
the woods! My body is pleasantly
weary. It’s had a good walk and a green gym workout. I’ve been looking
forward to this day and it has now arrived. Have I lost it? Well no,
quite the contrary, I’ve found it. Coppice hazel nirvana! Explain
yourself I hear you shout!
Well,
eleven years back when the OBee project was in its infancy we set out
to source hazel rods for the reinstatement of wattle panels. Now, in
the greater scheme of things not all hazel grows equally. In 2007 the
Suffolk woods were horribly uncoppiced and the hazel was old, knarled -
not in the least bit useful for our building project. You see, the best
hazel is the quick grown straight rods from a recently coppiced stool.
 Freshly coppiced hazel
rods
Six
years ago I first met a very lucky and quietly ambitious woodsman. His
aim was to bring back the coppice rotation in Raydon Great Wood.
However said wood was long neglected and vast! But he made a start,
worked consistently at opening up the rides to let air and light in,
and now his hard physical labour is paying dividends. Today was that
day! That day when (as well as helping him build deadwood hedges from
brash) we were able to put to one side the most gorgeously quick grown
and straight hazel rods. Just perfect for the wattle weather proofing
project we are about to begin in the north end of Orchard Barn, but
that is another story that will just have to wait for another day!
 Coppiced
and ready to regrow!
Building
materials that grow on trees! Perfect for
pocket, human and global health. Happy. Tired, and just a bit smug
Kevin, Will, Mike
(modelling the lastest in Crow's Nest hats), Dave and Steve
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