Sustainable Woodland Management

Thorpe Estate is surrounded by historic parkland and with conservation high on the agenda, a 25 year forestry plan to manage the woodlands has been implemented.

As part of our sustainable forest management programme, thinning has been carried out to an area of standing trees which in turn will allow the remaining trees to develop and increase in size. Whilst the operation can look quite brutal, thinning is a healthy way to ensure that the strongest trees can grow to their full potential by letting in more light, water and nutrients. Working closely with Matt Brocklehurst at Forwood Forestry & Woodland Consultancy he explained, “the trees of poorer quality were selected to be removed so that the healthier formed trees can grow bigger and develop into higher value products for future workings”. 

But all is not lost as the trees that have been felled will have an important role to play. Matt said: “The conifer material will supply the biomass boiler at Thorpe which heats all of the buildings across the Estate. The broadleaf firewood will be sold to a firewood processor where it will be sold to the domestic market and small businesses with wood burning stoves or open fires. The larger oak lengths are more valuable and these will be sold to local sawmills who will look to saw the timber into beams for use in construction or into planks which can then be used for high quality and high value furniture and joinery.”

The aim of our woodland management is to enhance biodiversity, create sustainable methods to improve energy consumption and to protect the rural environment for the future.