Coppicing is one of the oldest forms of woodland management in the UK, with roots stretching back thousands of years. It involves repeatedly cutting trees down to their stumps, known as stools, to encourage new shoots to grow – a management technique that at first glance can ignite some alarm about us felling trees or clearing woodland. However, this method has shaped much of Britain’s woodland landscape and remains significant for both ecological and cultural reasons.

The history of coppicing

Evidence of coppicing dates back to the Neolithic period, when early communities began managing woodlands to meet their daily needs. By the medieval era, coppicing had become a central feature of rural life. Wood was the primary source of fuel, and coppiced timber was essential for heating, cooking, and charcoal production. It was also used for building, fencing, tool handles, and wattle or weaved panels. Different tree species were coppiced depending on their properties: hazel provided flexible rods, oak offered strength and durability, and ash was prized for its resilience.

Coppice cycles were carefully managed. Depending on the species and intended use, trees were cut every 7 to 20 years. This system ensured a steady supply of materials while maintaining the woodland’s productivity. Many woodlands were managed as “coppice with standards,” where some trees were allowed to grow to full height to provide larger timber for construction. This system created the patchwork, multi-aged woodland structures that were once a familiar sight across the UK.

The Industrial Revolution brought a decline in traditional coppicing. Coal replaced wood as the main fuel, and industrial processes reduced the demand for small-diameter timber. By the 20th century, much of our coppiced woodland had been neglected, allowed to grow into high forest, or converted into conifer plantations. 

However, in recent decades, interest in coppicing has revived due to its ecological, cultural, and economic value.

Benefits of coppicing to nature 

Coppicing offers a huge range of benefits to both woodland habitats and wildlife. Because stools are cut on rotation, different areas of woodland are at different stages of regrowth, and this variation in age and density provides a wide range of habitats. Young regrowth areas allow sunlight to reach the ground, encouraging wildflowers such as bluebells, primroses, and wood anemones. These in turn attract insects, which support birds and bats. Some of the UK’s most threatened species, including the dormouse and the pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly, thrive in actively managed coppice woodlands.

As the regrowth matures, it offers dense cover and nesting sites for birds like tits and finches. Because different sections of coppice are managed on rotation, variety of coppiced stools with different densities ensure that wildlife with different needs can all thrive in close proximity.

Coppicing is also fantastic because it provides a renewable supply of wood for crafts, fencing, firewood, and biomass fuel. Unlike clear-felling, coppicing does not kill the tree, meaning the cycle can continue indefinitely. 

We coppice our woodlands at Askham Bog, Burton Leonard, Grass Wood and Hetchell Wood.

Coppicing in the present day

Today, coppicing is increasingly recognised for its role in biodiversity conservation and sustainable land management, and can also play a role in climate change mitigation: managed woodlands sequester carbon, and coppiced wood provides renewable alternatives to fossil fuels.

Increasingly, coppicing also has social value through its role as a ‘heritage craft’. Community woodland projects often incorporate coppicing as a practical and educational activity, bringing people into closer contact with their local environment and reconnecting them with traditional forms of working the land.

The challenges for modern coppicing include finding consistent markets for coppice products and training new generations in woodland management skills. However, with growing interest in sustainable living, renewable energy, and biodiversity, coppicing is well placed to contribute to the future of the UK’s woodlands.