Owning your own wood

Join a new knife forum - Win £1,000!

2010-06-27T03:58:00.000-07:00

There's a new knife and blade forum in the UK for knife nuts, hunting fanatics and camping fans from all over the world. Join and make at least five posts and you could win £1,000 ($1,500 US).

There are some real beautiful knives there and lots of other useful tutorials and tips. Check it out.

http://www.ukblades.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=5741

Some new filework we are experimenting with

2010-05-09T03:58:00.000-07:00

We are looking at a number of alternative designs for filework on our bushcraft knives and hatchets. Here are some examples of designs we are looking at.

Stag antler bushcraft knife with firesteel

2010-05-09T03:53:00.000-07:00

We just completed a batch of five bushcraft knives made from 4mm 01 carbon steel. The spine of the knife has some real fancy filework - with a hissing snake under the handle. The overall length is 9.5 inches. Hardened to 57-59 Rockwell, with a razor sharp scandi grind. It's about as good an all round user as you will find for £95.

Bushcraft chopper - ideal for making camp

2010-05-09T03:41:00.000-07:00

Here's one of our bushcraft choppers/machetes. We got a talented young blacksmith to make the blades on these - and we added the handles and the sheath. It's an awesome piece of steel - hollow ground with secondary bevel. Powerful and very, very sharp. Hardened to 57-59 Rockwell. Cracking bit of kit. The overall length is 15.5 inches long. They sit in the hand nicely, the balance is great. Ideal for battoning, clearing an area and also making frames and structures at camp. Really pleased how these turned out. I'm going to sell five of these for £55 each if anyone is interested at all.

Bushcraft knives - the old timer way

2010-01-23T08:36:00.000-08:00

A lot is talked about bushcraft and survival but let's face it people have been practicing these skills for thousands of years. No more so than when Europeans started to discover the New World. One item that was vital was a good, easy to service knife. Here are a couple of simple roughly made bowies made with basic materials in the kind of way they might have done back in teh old days of the Pioneers.

New pocket knives

2010-01-07T05:19:00.000-08:00

We've just finished making some new pocket knives - canoe style folders. They turned out real nice and snap shut firmly and cleanly. They come in various shades of jigged bone - blue, red, green and natural - and in two styles of sheath. The bright colours make it easier to find your knife when you are out in the field.

Knife Forum - a new UK knife forum

2009-12-26T09:09:00.000-08:00

For those of you interested in knives - either in terms of how to make knives, where to buy knives, or just like looking at custom knives try out this new knife and bushcraft forum.

http://www.ukblades.com/index.php

There are top UK, US and European knife makers featured there, lots of knife making and bushcraft tips.

Why not join and make your mark.

Getting our bushcraft knives right has taken time

2009-12-26T03:39:00.000-08:00

It took a lot of trial and error to get our bushcraft knives spot on - to really work well, look good and be able to handle really hard work. We got there in the end. They are all hand made and clones of the ubiquitous Woodlore knife.

To find out more and to see more versions of our craftsman made bushcraft knives visit:

www.jamesnobleknives.com

Massive bolo for the African bush

2009-12-26T03:35:00.001-08:00

We were asked by a customer to copy a big bush bolo that he and his family use in Tanzania but with a nice walnut handle and brass bolster to match a hunting knife he owned. This is how it turned out - 24 inches of sapling chopping power! It's so big I daren't try it out!

New machete

2009-12-26T03:30:00.000-08:00

We've just started to make a few 15 inch machetes. Only made two so far - one with a stag handle; one with a walnut handle. They turned out great. I love the round ended cutlass style too.

Mini hatchets - for bushcrafters

2009-07-04T01:44:00.000-07:00

My workshop just finished making a batch of mini hatchets out of quarter inch, 01 Carbon steel. The handle are in American Oak. They are ideal for camping and survival situations when a knife isn't quite heavy enough but an axe would be overkill.

I just sold out all of the ones I made - in a day! We are making some more though...two are already reserved so get your name down if you are interested.

I'm selling the plain ones for £45 +£10 P+P. The ones with filework on the spine of the knife are £65 +£10 P+P.

They are nicely balanced and pretty weighty.

Your own ancient woodland. What could be more wonderful?

2008-05-10T10:34:00.000-07:00

Once owning private woodland was the exclusive domain of the rich and privileged. But now, with a little help from Ancient Woodland, you can buy your very own piece of English woodland forever - for as little as £5,000. You can walk on it; protect and preserve it for future generations; camp on it; watch native wildlife and birds; create environments for the woodland creatures that live there; bequeath it and even sell it. You'll have a freehold interest so the choice is yours.

To find out more visit:

www.ancientwoodland.com

A unique way to own woodland in a beautiful part of Buckinghamshire

2008-04-19T04:12:00.000-07:00

Here is a site map and location map of where our current wood is. It's 14 acres in total and is close to the Village of Wing, near to Aylesbury. There is excellent road access and parking. We have tidied most of the wood - in line with Forestry Commission guidance, so that we don't upset the the eco-systems in the wood too much. We will also build a very nice tree house in the wood over the next few months. There are two lockable gates and we have also created a woodland community online forum. Essentially how it works is we sell you a generous sized section of the wood - freehold. In addition you also get the beneficial right to wander in perpetuity over the entire wood. So for only £5,000 you get the use of the entire 14 acres for ever and you can bequeath this in your will in just the same way you could if you owned the freehold of the whole wood. A wood like this would cost about £100,000...so it is a real bargain. The wood is almost totally sold...we have two sections left...so hurry!

This is our website address: ancientwoodland.com

Salmon Fishing Scotland.: Salmon Fishing Scotland April 2008 Spring Fly Fishing on the Tay at Stanley.

2008-04-19T02:46:00.000-07:00

Salmon Fishing Scotland.: Salmon Fishing Scotland April 2008 Spring Fly Fishing on the Tay at Stanley.

Things you should look out for when buying a wood

2008-04-13T11:05:00.000-07:00

For three years now I've been looking at woods all over the Home Counties...I've seen hundreds...about 80% utterly useless for what I wanted! Many are just completely spoilt and full of rubbish, or inaccessible locations, or without parking, or with lots of public footpaths cutting right through them...or next to industrial units or a quarry! You name it I've driven for miles and see most of the options. There is nearly always an old vehicle too somewhere hidden in the middle of them. In fact I now say to my friends, 'where is the vehicle'? The last wood I bought I couldn't see one...then I completed and there it was an old 1950's trailer...cor they couldn't half make them then! It weighed a ton..or maybe more!

So when you look at woods, ask yourself these questions:

Is the wood easily accessible - will I be able to get easy access
Have I got absolute access? Watch out for ransom strips of land (ask your solicitor to check)
Is there someone to park your car
Are there any covenants that stop you doing what you want to do with the wood - otherwise you end up with a white elephant
How will you renovate/maintain it....woods are a lot of work particularly if they are in poor condition
Is there a preservation order on the wood (individual trees/blanket)
Are there lots of public footpaths running through it? Not all members of the public will be as concerned about wildlife as you!
Is it fenced/hedged? Does it need to be?
Does it come with sporting rights? The last thing you will want is a load of men with shotguns shooting everything that moves in your wood on a Sunday morning!
Can you afford it?
Is it worth clubing together with some friends to buy the wood once you find the right one. They can help you to look after it and can split the cost...this is how I started!

My biggest tip is go there and look. Just sit in the wood...does it feel right for you?

Good luck. If you want to ask any questions...happy to help!

Fox Covert in Buckinghamshire

2008-04-06T09:49:00.000-07:00

Here's my latest wood...it's in Buckinghamshire and called Fox Covert. It's 14 acres in total. I was going to go up there today but the snow had set in! Drat! We finished clearing it a month ago. There was a lot of rubble from the previous owner and an old trailer! It took all day to break the trailer up it was massive. It was sooooo heavy! In the end we had to beg a group of ramblers to help us to lift it into a skip. We rewarded them with a pint at the local pub. Hic!

The local deer weren't too happy with the activity....they gave us one look and then legged it

Affordable, private woodlands.

2008-04-06T06:58:00.000-07:00

A relatively small wood can easily cost more than £100,000, which means it is beyond the means of most people. In addition to the initial cost, managing an entire wood on your own can be a fairly onerous long-term responsibility too. So rather than having to pay a huge sum of money to be able to roam in your own ancient woodland you can do it now, with a little help from ancientwoodland.com, for as little as £5,000.

Have a look at

www.ancientwoodland.com

The types of trees you will discover in a wood

2008-04-06T06:49:00.000-07:00

MIXED DECIDUOUS.

The trees in every wood vary and indeed may change over time. It’s a dynamic environment where things change over time. That’s half the beauty of it.

Deciduous trees include oak, ash, beech, chestnut, silver birch, willow, sycamore or a mixture of any or all of these. Part of every wood we offer will be mature; high crowns giving massive shade, with consequently almost clear ground underneath. Here you get clear views, and can walk around freely. Other parts may be less mature - perhaps recently felled and replanted - and will repay loving attention. Some areas may still need replanting, a very satisfying task.

CONIFERS.

These are usually in 'plantations'. A wood may contain a single species or perhaps two or three types. If these are well managed and have already been thinned the ground under the trees will be almost clear and wonderful for walking round. The smell is delicious. All year round the needles are green and luxuriant.

COPPICE.

When any deciduous tree is cut down, it tends to sprout new shoots from the remaining trunk. These coppice shoots grow very much more rapidly than a newly planted tree, having the benefit of an existing root system. Within a few years the poles are long enough and thick enough to be cut and used for fencing, firewood, or minor building work. A new crop of shoots springs from the root, or ‘stool’ as it is known, and the process can be repeated every 12-20 years.

Throughout history coppice poles have been the main product of woodland. Amongst the coppice, some trees (usually oaks) have been allowed to grow on to maturity, for big timber. Now that we have power tools to enable us to handle and deal with timber, coppice is less important, but many woods are still of this type.

The existing coppice that you will find is generally mainly chestnut, hornbeam, or hazel. Amongst the coppice you will probably find holly, which was used in time past for fodder for cattle, and the graceful silver birch.

Where the coppice is cut, light again reaches the ground, and native flowers whose seeds have been dormant in the ground spring up; these provide food and breeding places for butterflies and for insects that birds consume. A coppiced woodland which has been neglected lacks these, but it can easily be restored by patient and continuous coppicing.

The pleasures of owning your own ancient wood

2008-04-06T06:44:00.000-07:00

It is amazingly easy and incredibly satisfying to own your woodland.

You will often have walked in woods and enjoyed the majesty of the trees and the magic of the changing seasons. These woods may belong to a body like the Woodland Trust, or you may have been on a public right of way through private woods. So what is different about owning an ancient wood of your own?

When you buy your own ancient wood, you are free to do what you like – more or less. No one tells you where you can walk, what you can plant, what paths you can clear. It's all up to you.

You can cook over a real camp fire, let your children and dog explore, out of sight, safely – and you can keep the rest of the world out. It's yours.

You can also do your bit for the environment too. By owning and caring for your woodland you are doing your bit to preserve nature for future generations.

Enjoying a wood is something you will probably want to share with your friends and family. There’s nothing more satisfying than arriving at your own wood – in all its glory – producing a key and unlocking this remarkable and magical world for you all to explore and enjoy.

Making owning ancient woodland open to everyone.

2008-04-06T06:37:00.000-07:00

Once owning private woodland was the exclusive domain of the rich and privileged. But now, with a little help from Ancient Woodland, you can own your very own piece of English woodland forever – for as little as £5,000. You can walk on it; protect and preserve it for future generations; camp on it; watch native wildlife and birds; have barbecues (as long as you are careful; create environments for the woodland creatures that live there; bequeath it and even sell it. You’ll have a freehold interest so the choice is yours).

Ancient Woodland Ltd was formed almost by accident; the product of a deep desire by three friends to buy a wood of our own. We were amazed at how difficult it was to buy a wood, and how much work was involved in transforming the wood from a veritable jungle, without proper fencing, into a wonderful, magical place. It was this experience that led to us to decide to pioneer this unique way of owning a wood.

If like us you are interested in protecting the environment, have a love of ancient woodland but not quite enough money to buy a complete wood of your own, and don’t necessarily have the time or expertise to manage the wood on your own, this could be just what you have been looking for.

For each wood we create a virtual woodland community of like minded, responsible people. We vet each person very carefully to ensure that each group of owners have the wood’s interests at heart and will be able to get on together as friends and as a community.

Our woodland is sold on a first come first served basis and availability is limited so register your interest now.

Call us now on 0845 658 5558 or contact us via info@ancientwoodland.com

"Should you see me at the point of death, carry me under the shade of an oak, and I promise you I shall recover"
Jean-Jacques Rousseau – Philosopher (1712 -1778)

Finding a wood that ticks all of your boxes

2008-04-06T05:44:00.000-07:00

I spent over two years looking for a wood that suited everything that I wanted and I could afford. The first one is in Kent...first one I hear you say...er yer...I started collecting them and selling bits of too other people. My latest one is in Buckinghamshire, near to Aylesbury. It is 14 acres and has a track running down the middle.

When I look at woods I look for easy road access, parking, bigger than 5 acres, ancient woodland site and mainly English broad leafed trees. I also like to see a good spread of wildlife diversity. Each wood - I've got four now - is usually in a mess when I buy them. They always have a trailer or old vehicle someone has dumped! They usually cost about £5,000 to clear up so don't rush in on your own to buy one unless you've got a few bob!