am I allowed wood from the wood

ladygrey_2

thanks for all the replies
I'll carry on a wood collecting

Debt_Free_Chick

Strictly speaking, any wood - including windfall - belongs to the landowner. That applies to public footpaths too, as a footpath is simply a right of way over someone else's land i.e. right of access and not right to all the property

So ... you should really ask the landowner if it's OK. Some may not mind, others will - especially if they use/want the wood themselves. Afterall, they may have bought the woodland for precisely that purpose.

Remember that if we all took the wood, the biodiversity of the woodland could change as many creatures rely on decaying wood, which forms part of the land's natural cycle. The decayed wood provides a mulch and eventually is returned to the soil, improving it.

I would ask first. Afterall, if it were your wood and you saw people leaving it with sacks full of twigs. kindling etc, wouldn't you think they were being just a teeny bit cheeky?

Along the roadside is a different matter, provided you are taking it from the verge, which is usually Highways' land. But elsewhere, it's someone else's property :eek:

Lillibet_2

make_life_easier wrote:

surely it doesn't do anyone any harm if your just picking up sticks/twigs and small logs. I always pick up a few when I have the opportunity, Just like to think it's a way of woodland management

Any "managed woodland" will require a large amount of ground cover, including fallen wood, leaves, etc for environmental purposes, as D-F-C rightly says. The point of woodland is not to allow pretty bluebells & the like to flourish in the spring. My hubby is a countryside ranger & you would certainly be escorted off his patch for doing this! And en-route probably treated to a lecture on damaging the environment for your cheek.

kittiwoz

Along the roadside is a different matter, provided you are taking it from the verge, which is usually Highways' land. But elsewhere, it's someone else's property

Actualy I think it's still stealing if it's along the roadside. Only in this case it's stealing from the goverment. If you find people who've had trees cut down/ are having trees cut down and ask if you can have the wood they are often very happy to get rid of it for free. I remember that sometimes when I was out with my dad we would see wood that had been fly-tipped and he would come back later to pick it up. In his case this was timber for carving so he only wanted decent sized lumps of good wood (didn't have to be seasoned- he would stash it til it was) but if you're only going to burn it poor wood, wooden chairs, the frames of old sofas or whatever would do fine. And you really would be doing a wombling service.

ladygrey_2

thanks for all the help
I'll proably leave the wood where it is

beautiful_ravens

Ive been driving around picking up wood for the woodburner. Is this actually allowed?!
I dont take anything that looks like its freshly chopped or going to be used by someone, mostly fallen branches, or old wood from cleared woodland which looks forgotten about or left behind by whoever cleared it.
I usually just stop on the side of the road and throw it in the boot.
Ive also noticed other people doing it recently aswell!:rolleyes:

rhiwfield

I dont think that you're supposed to just pick up wood on other peoples land, unless you've permission. Dead wood on the woodland floor is an important wildlife habitat.

I'd be a bit miffed if someone took bits from my log store or log habitat pile!

elle_gee

You could always ask on FreeCycle - there are always people chopping down trees and offering the branches for firewood on ours.