We want to install a wood burning stove in our living room.
How about collecting wood from a forest? Can I just do it when out for an outdoor family walk in the country or is it illegal?
What if it's someone land, would it be theft?
What if it's public land, can I just collect it?
if it's public land I believe you are ok. if it's private land Waterboard/national trust etc you should seek permission first.Originally Posted by Gambatte
I've had our woodburner for 2 years now and not bought any fuel. however, it won't last long if you are just going to get it picking it up on walks
How did you get it then?
Other option is to ask timber merchants, furnitre makers, diy stores, etc... I guess they have many bits too small to be used that they would have to pay to throw away, maybe they'll even be happy to give away for a small sums...
On public land/common land you can gather fallen wood. You are not allowed to cut trees though.
I have not had to buy any wood and heat my place largely with my woodburner in winter. But I am very pro-active! After a strom I drive around the lanes and bits of common land with the chainsaw in the back of the car, cutting up fallen trees and branches! Sometimes people look at me as if I am weird, but largely I have gotten away with in. I once received a comment from a car passing so I told them I had just cleared the tree off the road, but if he wanted it back there blocking his way, I'd be happy to chuck it back...
“the cause of my pain, was the cause of my cure” Rumi
I'm receiving conflicting statements on this. Do you KNOW it or are you just making a sensible assumption?
Of course I would never do that.You are not allowed to cut trees though.
I know it, commoners rights... mind, I am a commoner, you may not be...
I used to get off cuts from the local joiners for a few years, until they installed a huge woodburning heating system in their workshops and no longer had them to give away...
The local saw mill sells the off cuts for £20 a tonne bag, £25 delivered, worth looking into as well...
“the cause of my pain, was the cause of my cure” Rumi
Ask at your local secondary school too, we give away all the offcuts/broken bits from our woodwork based projects to a couple of members of staff who have wood burners but other places might have them knocking about
Asked a couple of local farmers if I could clear some dead wood, There is also a wood by the outdoor centre I work at although this is mostly pine so try and avoid it.
No one near here gives away wood it's all sold in bags for kindling etc. but it's mostly softwood which burns too quick and leaves more residue than seasoned hardwood.
I'd agree with Han though as long as you are not damaging any land or property then it's usually no problem, however a little common sense is required if you take a chain saw with you. I believe it is actually an offence to carry one on some land with out permission. However I have a Sheff CC jacket which looks very official as long as people don't look to close and see outdoor education Dept on it
A local heathland had it's birch wood cleared to return it back to heathland, I've had close to 2 years worth of free wood off it so far and there's loads left but it's starting to rot now so I'll leave it to the insects etc
I've certainly got enough stored and seasoning to last well in to 2013 I reckon but I'll keep my eye out for any decent logs.
18 months ago I found a 30 ft lime tree that had blown over across a track and had been cut from its roots, It's base is still my chopping block! and it filled half my garage for a while.
I work very much like Ian... I go around cutting up trees fallen on or accross the road after the storm, have been cutting up the wood coming out of our coppiced hedgerows at work, used to get wood from the joiners, ask my farming neighbours if I can clear a tree in their field if there is one down and generally pick up bits and pieces along the way...
My nieghbour is thinning out his mixed woodland of the birch trees, and I am helping him clear it now, in exchange for some of the wood. Need to season that first though, but that should be next winter sorted
“the cause of my pain, was the cause of my cure” Rumi
Gambatte, strictly (legally) it's 1) theft, 2) theft, and 3) theft, unless you have the landowner's permission either explicitely (i.e you ask) or implicitely (e.g. you are a legit 'commoner'). But even the 'commoner' assumption rarely applies as it's a special (increasingly rare) common law right (too long to go into here).
But practically speaking, IDP and Han are essentially right. Use common sense and dont take the piss. It's like having a 'bladder full' and pissing in public - 1) in a forest, 2) out for a family walk, or 3) on public / private land - basically you use good judgement, and dont go back and piss in the same spot every day!
If a tree has fallen over on / next to a public highway and you help clear it and make it safer then you are unlikely to be challenged.
But if you start 'regular harvesting' in a public place in a manner that other members of public may see as inappropriate, or a ranger question, or from private landowners who take offence, then it could get tricky.
PS - Wood burning stoves are great and (virtually / nearly) carbon neutral, as trees breath in CO2. Happy foraging!
Last edited by OB1; 23-12-2011 at 02:03 AM. Reason: PS.
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