The first thing you notice at Bonsley Wood is the steady rhythm of carving knives, the tap of wood splitting cleanly under a froe and the quiet conversations that seem to drift naturally through the trees.
On a warm Saturday morning, members of the Dorset Coppice Group were joined by spoon carvers, greenwood workers and pole-lathe turners, each busy with a different traditional craft. Some shaped spoons from freshly cut timber. Others repaired wooden hay rakes – tools that, only a generation or two ago, were an everyday part of farming life.
There’s no rush here. The woodland dictates its own pace. With a mug of tea in hand, we wandered between the workbenches as pieces of green timber slowly became useful objects. Conversations moved easily from the recent dry weather and its impact on local farms to memories of older woodland crafts that have all but disappeared from everyday life.
It quickly became clear that these gatherings are about far more than making wooden objects.
The value in the old ways
Without people continuing to practise and teach these skills, many would simply disappear. Coppicing itself – the traditional management of woodland by cutting trees on a regular cycle – has shaped Dorset’s landscape for centuries, providing timber, fencing, charcoal, hurdles and countless other products while also creating valuable habitats for native woodland wildlife.
Today, much of that knowledge survives only because small groups continue to use it rather than simply talk about it.
The Dorset Coppice Group exists to help ensure those traditions remain part of the county’s future. Based at its off-grid Living Classroom in Bonsley Wood, the group teaches everything from hurdle making and green woodworking to hedgelaying and woodland management, while helping landowners and craftspeople share skills and experience.
The benefits extend beyond heritage alone. Well-managed coppice woodland allows more light to reach the woodland floor, encouraging wildflowers, insects and birds, while producing a sustainable supply of local timber and woodland products.
Perhaps the most encouraging sight, however, was the mix of people taking part. Experienced craftspeople worked alongside complete beginners, each happy to explain techniques or hand over a tool for someone else to have a go.
Traditional crafts only survive by being passed on.
The Dorset Coppice Group will be demonstrating many of these skills at this month’s Stock Gaylard Oak Fair. The group welcomes new members, whether they have years of experience or simply an interest in Dorset’s woodland heritage.
dorsetcoppicegroup.co.uk
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