Cutlers Wood: Logging with John & Bob (The Horse)

Welcome to the Blog of Cutler´s Wood, an Ancient Semi-Natural Woodland in the Kent North Downs AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty).

Cutler´s is 42 hectares (ca. 103 acres) of native broadleaf woodland managed primarily as wildlife and flora habitat but also to provide some timber from coppice rotation which is used for traditional fencing and woodfuel. Adjacent to Cutler´s Wood is Cutler´s Farm, made up of the farmyard with barns and 6 hectares (ca. 15 acres) of pasture land, which presently is used for sheep grazing.

Bordering onto the Forestry Commission´s Kings Wood to the south west, privately owned Stanner´s Wood to the north west, The Woodland Trust´s Park Wood to the north and the privately owned Ridge Wood and Felborough Wood to the east, this area makes up over 2000 acres of connected woodland and one of the largest woodlands in the South East of England. This whole area was once part of a royal hunting forest for deer and boar.

Thursday, 23 February 2012

Logging with John & Bob (The Horse)

Back in Spring 2011 I asked local woodsman and horse logger, John Mancini, to extract some larger sweet chestnut stems from an area of Cutler´s difficult to access with a tractor. John used his horse Bob for the extraction work and these are some pictures of Bob at work. There is something special seeing horses at work and there are the added advantages of less soil compaction and the horses ability to work in tight areas where the use of a tractor would cause considerable ground damage. They are also surprisingly quick.

All photography by John Mancini

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ACCESS THROUGH CUTLER´S WOOD

UPDATE March 2016

Due to the actions of a few ignorant people, leaving their dogs roam freely through the woods and disturbing wildlife, people who have, upon being asked to keep their dogs on a lead or leave, then felt it neccessary to be abusive towards me, I have decided with immediate effect to close Cutler's Wood completely to the public.

There are NO PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY through Cutler's Wood.

In future anybody found trespassing in Cutler's Wood without authority from myself will be asked to leave. Due force will be used against those who refuse to comply.

It is unfortunate that I have been forced into this decision but it seems that in this day and age, more and more people seem to be of the opinion that they can do what they like, wherever they like.

POACHERS, VANDALS, LITTERERS & FLY TIPPERS BEWARE

Poachers, vandals, litterers or fly tippers will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted. Any unauthorized weapons will be confiscated and immediately destroyed. There have been recent incidents of poaching, where deer have been shot and wounded by poachers, even using inappropriate weapons such as shotguns and crossbows. These people show a total disregard for nature and need to be brought before the courts. For any information leading to the positive identification of poachers, vandals, litterers or fly tippers, we will pay a reward of 200.- Pounds.

Cutlers Wood

Thursday, 23 February 2012

Logging with John & Bob (The Horse)

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