Tips for foraging for wood

staffyman_2

Just a quick question ,can you use dead branches from trees straight away or do you have to leave them season ? ( ones on the tree or on the floor )

suisidevw

leave them to season, unless they have obvio0usly been there for years, if so make sure they are fully dried out etc

muckybutt

Interesting chat on the wireless yesterday, a chap had come across a fallen tree blocking the road during the recent gales, he had a chain saw with him and so cut the tree up and put it to one side of the verge. He asked the question if it was ok to take it home for use on his woodburner as it had fallen down.
The radio station got a lawyer in to answer his query as was in no uncertain terms told NOT to remove it without consent from the land owner, even though it was on a road.

Even trees in common woodland have an owner, around where I live its all crown land even though the woodlands are common, put simply I would have to seek permission from HM Crown, many areas are owned by the localcouncils so always worth asking them.

So as for tips for foraging go, personally without expressed permission from whom ever owns the land you are thinking of getting the wood from I wouldnt bother, and unless its common land you are on you could also be commiting trespass.

Foraging laws only exist for fruits - fungi - flowers and foliage.

Williwoodburner

You might find this article interesting -

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/8366252.Police_scramble_helicopter_over__stolen__twigs/

Of note is Police found no offences had been comitted, a grey area ? :money:

Willie.

muckybutt

Williwoodburner wrote: »

You might find this article interesting -

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/8366252.Police_scramble_helicopter_over__stolen__twigs/

Of note is Police found no offences had been comitted, a grey area ? :money:

Willie.

Police arent experts in law, I imagine if the landowner wanted to press charges he could do very easily as it is theft, albeit a minimal cost for a few twigs so would probably get thrown out by CPS, but if he had gone equipped with a saw or chainsaw and had cut big lumps off then I would say theres a greater chance of a prosecution being made.

Williwoodburner

muckybutt wrote: »

Police arent experts in law, I imagine if the landowner wanted to press charges he could do very easily as it is theft, albeit a minimal cost for a few twigs so would probably get thrown out by CPS, but if he had gone equipped with a saw or chainsaw and had cut big lumps off then I would say theres a greater chance of a prosecution being made.

If the Police went to the trouble of scrambling a helicopter and 2 squad cars, I think they would have prosecuted if they could.

As for a private prosecution, very difficult, expensive and they usually fail.

I agree if you went into private woodland with a chainsaw, chopping down tree's that would be theft, but an Englishmans right to collect fallen wood goes back to king John 1215 and is mentioned in the Magna Carta.
These old laws have never been repealed.

I still think it is a grey area which would need a Court to decide. to establish a stated case.

Willie.

muckybutt

Williwoodburner wrote: »

but an Englishmans right to collect fallen wood goes back to king John 1215 and is mentioned in the Magna Carta.
These old laws have never been repealed.
Willie.

Ah .... no it doesnt !
The Magna carter says " A forester-in-fee rendering us a farm for his bailiwick [jurisdiction] may exact chiminage [road tax] . . . only from those who come from outside his bailiwick as merchants with his permission into his bailiwick to buy wood, timber, bark, or charcoal and take them elsewhere to sell where they wish.
From no other cart or load shall any chiminage be exacted, and chiminage shall only be exacted in places where it used to be exacted of old and ought to have been exacted. Those, on the other hand, who carry wood, bark, or charcoal on their backs for sale, although they get their living by it, shall not in future pay chiminage.
In respect of the woods of others no chiminage shall be given to our foresters beyond [that given] in respect of our own woods.
It also adds that:
Every freeman shall at his own pleasure provide agistment [care and food for animals] for his woodland in the forest and have his pannage [collection of fallen fruit, nuts and wood]. We also grant that every freeman may freely and without interference drive his swine through our demesne [proprietary] woodland in order to agist them in his own woods or wherever else he pleases. And if the swine of any freeman spend one night in our forest, that shall not be made the excuse for taking anything of his away from him."

No where there does it say you can use fallen wood for personal use, for sale yes, now thats a different matter.

Williwoodburner

We will have to agree to disgree on this one Muckybutt.

I still think its a grey area which would need to be tested in the Courts.

I wonder if anyone has any experience of problems when collecting fallen wood ?
It would be interesting to hear from them. :beer:

Willie.

suisidevw

I collect fallen wood in my local woods all the time, especially kindling and will continue to do so!

joc1274

Has onyone used one on these
youtube.com/watch?v=YsdUTI6uH0A