Coppicing in the UK: Can Traditional Woodland Management Restore Biodiversity?

Coppicing isn’t new.

It’s one of the oldest woodland management systems we have. Evidence from the Sweet Track (Somerset Levels) shows coppiced timber was used as early as 4,000 BCE.

For centuries it kept woods productive and diverse. Cutting trees to ground level allowed light back in. Flowers returned. Insects and birds followed. Timber, fuel and fencing were harvested. Then the cycle repeated.

Over the last century, that rhythm slowed. Cheap imports and lost markets reduced its value. Many woods were left to close over. Today, around 40% of UK woodland is unmanaged. When light disappears, biodiversity declines.

In her latest film, Charly from Wood For The Trees asks a simple question: can coppicing bring woodlands back to life?

She visits oak restoration in Cornwall and large-scale chestnut production in Kent. Different scales. Same principle.

Cut. Regrow. Repeat.

If we want resilient British woodlands, we have to manage them. Not ignore them.

Watch the full film here:

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