After nearly 3 years……

It was very nearly 3 full years ago that Storm Arwen struck north Northumberland, flattening literally millions of trees. My initial thought was that it would take two years to clear up the damage but I had rather underestimated the challenge. This week, the last of the forestry harvesting machinery finally departed from Chillingham.

The scale of the damage in the area meant that the timber markets were badly disrupted and there was great demand for harvesting teams, so one rather had to wait ones turn. Typically, the badly damaged areas at Chillingham were on the very worst ground – very steep and/or very wet. This meant that winter harvesting was not possible, so further extending the work.

Much of the timber extracted was damaged and of poor quality so only suitable for the chip market. Fortunately, the increase in wood burning power stations means that this market is buoyant. The better conifer logs went to local sawmills, such as A&J Scotts, just a few miles down the road. Any hardwood timber removed went for firewood. With the popularity of wood burning stoves, this is one of the best markets available for woodland owners.

The cleared areas will now be restocked. This will be done with a combination of natural regeneration and replanting. Silver Birch will dominate the natural regeneration, so planting other broadleaved species will add to species diversity. The majority of the cleared areas will be repopulated with native broadleaves. This will have environmental and landscape benefits, and we know from experience that these sites are not suitable for modern-day conifer harvesting.