Woodland Products

Many of the traditional crafts of rural Hampshire continue to be practiced, and thatchers, blacksmiths and charcoal burners are still in demand for their time-honoured skills. In particular, the historic profession of the coppice craftsman remains vital to the landscape and wildlife.

In Hampshire, 75 % of ancient semi-natural woodland has developed under a coppicing system and consequently much of Loddon and Eversley's flora and fauna has evolved under the conditions of coppice woodland and is now dependent upon it. However, in areas where active coppicing has been neglected, this invaluable habitat has fallen into dereliction. Traditionally maintained coppice provides an alternation of light and shade upon which many species rely for their survival. Coppicing is the practice of cutting small trees down to the stump; their regrowth produces a number of stems, or poles, which can be harvested for a variety of products at varying intervals. The major crop of the North Hampshire coppice industry is hazel, which is woven, through traditional techniques, into such items as trellises, hurdles, plant supports and frames.

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