Woodland! Uses & profit

[Wild Carrot]

(Apologies if this is not the right place for this thread), but I have some questions regarding purpose and uses of owning woodland;

1. Have you ever bought any woodland? If so,
a. What type of woodland is it?
b. For what reason did you buy it?
c. Do you use your woodland for more than one purpose?

2. (If you have never bought nor owned any woodland), Would you ever consider buying some woodland if it was available for sale near you (and for a reasonable price etc)?

3. (Whether you own woodland or not), What do you think are the best use/s for a woodland (whether in terms of profit, useful application or simple desire etc)?

 

[capfits]

Do you own woodland yourself?
If so, why do you? If not and you are thinking about it why would you buy it?
Plenty of advantage for some to buy woodland.
Personally would only buy woodland at the moment if part of another farming unit.
But would we grow woodland? yes reasons include better use of some bits of land, shelter belts amenity.

 

[suffolksmallholder]

All the woodland I know is/was family owned and used for tax purposes on sale. It produced £17k PA from timber sales. There was a syndicate shoot that produced £20k PA and wagged the dog to the detriment of the forestry. Oganised camping/bushcraft events produced £1.5k PA much to the disgust of the keepers on the syndicate.
IMO most folk buy woodland for pleasure & to spend the odd night in. Some have become profitable businesses if the acreage is big enough & there's no public ROW.
Personally I'm a fan of creating woodland & have done so in the past on un-used ex ag land, using grant-aid at the time and also on my own little patch with no grant aid at all. As long as the gray squirell is kept firmly out things will get on fine with the odd bit of pruning & strategic re-planting. A decade will give you a feel of what is to come and that's a good feeling.
SS

 

[asparagusbrain]

3. (Whether you own woodland or not), What do you think are the best use/s for a woodland (whether in terms of profit, useful application or simple desire etc)?

A completely wild idea - planting a honey wood, of black locust mixed with lime (aka linden) trees. Both are fast growing, relatively trouble free, have valuable timber, and provide a nearly endless source of nectar. Or it could be that I am partial to both trees and just finding excuses for their existence.
I do not own any woodland (or any land), just a dreamer at the moment.

 

[Wild Carrot]

Thank you for the replies so far, they have made for interesting reading!

I ask these questions because small plots of woodland are often available for sale not far from where I live (and the land often seems quite reasonably priced). But although I love the environment, I have always wondered what one would actually do with a bit of woodland (what ways are there to generate a profit from it and what options there are for doing things with woodlands in general).

 

[phillipe]

Thank you for the replies so far, they have made for interesting reading!

I ask these questions because small plots of woodland are often available for sale not far from where I live (and the land often seems quite reasonably priced). But although I love the environment, I have always wondered what one would actually do with a bit of woodland (what ways are there to generate a profit from it and what options there are for doing things with woodlands in general).

having just read you introduce your self post,you buy whatever makes you happy,with abit of woodland you will have a diverse amount of flora and fauna,and a tree or two to play with

 

[Wild Carrot]

having just read you introduce your self post,you buy whatever makes you happy,with abit of woodland you will have a diverse amount of flora and fauna,and a tree or two to play with

I like woodland a lot but I'm not at a point yet in my life where I can retire (won't be doing that for many decades to come!) so buying woodland just for pleasure's sake doesn't seem sensible. I'm more interested in buying arable/grazing land. However as woodland keeps on popping up for sale in my area, I can't totally ignore it as an option (especially if it is actually a decent investment).

The thing which concerns me most about woodland as a land option, is that I have always been under the impression that options with what you can do with it are very limited (and that worthwhile profits are difficult to generate on it). That, woodlands are largely just the playgrounds for the rich (to raise game birds on and take leisurely strolls through etc).
I don't know how accurate this image of woodland ownership is though?

 

[phillipe]

I like woodland a lot but I'm not at a point yet in my life where I can retire (won't be doing that for many decades to come!) so buying woodland just for pleasure's sake doesn't seem sensible. I'm more interested in buying arable/grazing land. However as woodland keeps on popping up for sale in my area, I can't totally ignore it as an option (especially if it is actually a decent investment).

The thing which concerns me most about woodland as a land option, is that I have always been under the impression that options with what you can do with it are very limited (and that worthwhile profits are difficult to generate on it). That, woodlands are largely just the playgrounds for the rich (to raise game birds on and take leisurely strolls through etc).
I don't know how accurate this image of woodland ownership is though?

nah,i have little copse on my ground and it is my favourate place,bluebell,the birds nesting ,the different colours ,and nice and cool,great place to picnic and relax

 

[Princess Pooper]

This is an example of a working woodland where a couple earn their living http://www.hazelwoodlandproducts.co.uk/

 

[Yale]

I like woodland a lot but I'm not at a point yet in my life where I can retire (won't be doing that for many decades to come!) so buying woodland just for pleasure's sake doesn't seem sensible. I'm more interested in buying arable/grazing land. However as woodland keeps on popping up for sale in my area, I can't totally ignore it as an option (especially if it is actually a decent investment).

The thing which concerns me most about woodland as a land option, is that I have always been under the impression that options with what you can do with it are very limited (and that worthwhile profits are difficult to generate on it). That, woodlands are largely just the playgrounds for the rich (to raise game birds on and take leisurely strolls through etc).
I don't know how accurate this image of woodland ownership is though?

Be careful.

There are lots of woodland which neighbour busy roads and require tracts to be cut back for road safety purposes.

Some of these require great expense to remove dangerous trees by professionals with traffic controls etc.

Remember if your trees are next to a road you are responsible for them.

 

[suffolksmallholder]

Be careful.

There are lots of woodland which neighbour busy roads and require tracts to be cut back for road safety purposes.

Some of these require great expense to remove dangerous trees by professionals with traffic controls etc.

Remember if your trees are next to a road you are responsible for them.

In this situation measure in by 25 metres add all the big trees up & multiply by 750, this is the rough cost in £'s to address in a safe & proper manner. Sounds a lot but this will cover you for 20 years plus if done properly. And no this doesn't mean simply cutting everything down in one hit either. There's a host of regs to consider as well & these will be included.
SS

 

[RagnarHairybreeks]

I keep looking at parcels of woodland but I've recently bought my 'forever' house and most of my money is going on that, slowly.

With ever increasing population pressure I can't see that you would ever lose money in the long run on woodland (especially if you are competent to perform your own maintenance) but making an income from it looks like a disproportionate effort to return ratio unless it is a timber exercise which is not why I want a parcel.

I'd be looking to build a small, almost hidden, off-grid camping shed and have a place to enjoy with the kids on weekends.

Agreed with Suffolksmallholder above, grey squirrels are a bloody menace, and you'll also need to keep crows etc. under control if you want lots of songbirds.

 

[How much]

Be careful.

There are lots of woodland which neighbour busy roads and require tracts to be cut back for road safety purposes.

Some of these require great expense to remove dangerous trees by professionals with traffic controls etc.

Remember if your trees are next to a road you are responsible for them.

if that where the actual case in practice 50% of Northumberlands farmers will be getting a bill just for roadside trees and hedges that are pushing out further into the roads every year !

 

[toquark]

Small blocks of broadleaved woodland are potentially quite profitable, particularly in areas where population density is higher and the wood burning stove craze has reached epic proportions! Provided the woods are managed sensitively and legally, by obtaining the appropriate Forestry Commission licences etc., you can cut a certain amount of firewood out of the wood every so often, process it into logs, season it and flog it for very good money.

As others have said though, it all depends on tree species, location, condition and access, otherwise you could be buying a millstone necklace...

 

[vikinglimey]

A lot of the small woodland plots around here are used to rear pheasants for shoots. The woodland is fenced off and the pheasants kept in the wood to breed. Then they are released and fed on the fields so they return to the area for the shooting season. It seems to be a decent business for the local guys around here. One farmer i know retired from farming but kept up with the pheasant / shooting business.