Forestry
Click to download this resource as a Word Document
Forestry and Chopwell Wood - A brief history and time-line
The beginnings to the Romans
Thousands of years ago what we now call Chopwell Wood was part of a huge forest, known as The Wild-Wood, which stretched across much of northern England. The trees included birch, hazel, oak and alder. Since then as civilisation developed, trees were felled to clear areas for farming and to build villages. The felling of trees reached a peak during the Roman occupation of England, and the present size of Chopwell Wood has been much the same for about the last 2000 years.
1000 to 1500 and how Chopwell got its name
About 1000 years after the Romans left, the Earls of Northumberland and the Saxon Bishop of Durham ruled the area. After the Norman invasion of England in 1066, the Norman army marched north and the Saxon Bishop fled and died in exile. The new Norman Bishop was the first Prince Bishop of Durham and he now ruled the area.
The name Chopwell is believed to have originated from the name of a Saxon chieftain, called Ceoppa who lived in the area around 650 AD where there was also a well. During the 1150s, records show the Bishop of Durham granted land known as The Manor of Ceoppa’s Weille to an abbot from near Morpeth. Over one hundred years later the area is referred to as the Manor of Cheppewell and by the end of the 15th century it had become the Manor of Chopwell. Chopwell Wood was part of this Manor.
1500 to 1820 - Chopwell Wood becomes Crown Property
Wood from Chopwell had provided timber for buildings for hundreds of years, but in 1536 King Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the monasteries and The Manor of Chopwell was removed from the rule of the church and became Crown Property. This led to a large increase in use of timber from Chopwell Wood, particularly in castles and bridges in northern England.
Wood from Chopwell was also used in building ships. The first recorded use of Chopwell timber for shipbuilding was in the late 13th century when timber from the wood was used in building of a Galley Ship for the navy. However, the most famous use of Chopwell Wood timber was in the building of Sovereign of the Seas. This was the flagship of King Charles, built in 1635 and included over 2000 oak trees from Chopwell. The “ship-tax” levied by the King to build this ship was one of the prime causes of the Civil War.
In the early 19th century there was more demand for oak timber from Chopwell, to build ships for the war with the French Emperor, Napoleon, and by 1820 there were only a few hundred trees left.
1820 - The Chopwell Plantation
The government appointed Commissioners for Woods and Forests, and under the control of the Commissioners, a large replanting scheme was begun at Chopwell and it became known as The Chopwell Plantation. The timber was again primarily grown for use in building ships for the navy. However, as well as oak trees, larch, ash and elm trees were planted.
Chopwell Cottage
Chopwell Cottage, later called Chopwellgate Cottage, was built at the entrance to the Chopwell Wood near Hookergate in 1831. The foreman of The Chopwell Plantation lived here. In the 1850s he oversaw the reduction in the planting of oak, and an increase in larch and the introduction of pine and spruce trees.
1907 Armstrong College
Management of The Chopwell Plantation was taken over by Armstrong College, which was in Newcastle. This college later became Kings College and eventually Newcastle University. The Plantation was used as training ground for foresters. Some new buildings were erected in the middle of the plantation in the area now known as Fiddlers Green. This area had originally been East Chopwell Farm. The buildings included houses for the foresters, and offices for administration of the plantation and also the Forestry Training School.
1914 The First World War
A management plan for The Chopwell Plantation was drawn up in 1914, but the First World War disrupted the plans. Some areas had to be cleared to grow food. One of these was beside Chopwell Village and this became the allotments, which are still there today. The war created more demand for timber, particularly pine for pit props in the rapidly developing coalmines.
1919 The Forestry Commission
At the end of the War the Forestry Commission was formed by the government to re stock the nation’s forests with trees and to manage the supply of timber. Chopwell was one of only three remaining Crown Property woodlands and was one of the first woodlands in the country to come under the management of the Forestry Commission. The Commission took over full management of the plantation from Armstrong College in 1923, and a large scale replanting programme began. Trees planted included Scots Pine and Corsican Pines, Douglas Fir, Sitka Spruce, Norway Spruce and European Larch. Thus many species of coniferous trees were introduced to the wood which now became known as Chopwell Wood, although the name Chopwell Plantation continued to appear on maps until the 1950s. Training in forestry continued at Fiddlers Green and Chopwell Wood became the Headquarters of the North-East Division of the Forestry Commission and remained as such until 1947, when the Headquarters moved to York. There were about 40 foresters working in Chopwell Wood typically working a 10-hour day from 7:00 am until 5:00pm.
1939 The Second World War
The Second World War again increased demand for timber right across the country. So much so in Chopwell, that a temporary sawmill was set up in the plantation, opposite what is now called the Carr House car park. This sawmill had a steam boiler to power its circular saws, which were operated by foresters. “Timber Jills” from the Women’s Land Army, helped in stacking the timber. The sawmill needed heavy machinery, such as tractors to be able to get in and out the wood, and a tarmac road was created; this now forms the road to the main car park from the entrance to the wood at Hookergate. The timber was taken by lorries along this road and down to the station at Rowlands Gill. Here it was transported on trains along the lines of the London & North Eastern Railway to the docks at Newcastle and Gateshead.
1950 to 1993 and Woodland Park Status
After the war there was again a major replanting of the trees, this time much of it Japanese Larch. In 1955 the Forestry Commission moved its District Office to Chopwell. A large timber forestry office was built at Fiddlers Green.
In the 1960s the Forestry Commission started to develop the recreational uses of Chopwell Wood, as well as continuing the commercial timber operations. Many people enjoyed walking in the woodland and they would report any damage or fires to the foresters. Car parks and forest walks were established. With mechanisation and the growing use of herbicides and pesticides, the number of foresters needed in the wood declined, and some of the properties at Fiddlers Green were sold off as private residences. A new timber office was erected in 1969, and this is still in use today.
During the 1980s, the government were making plans to privatise the Forestry Commission. This led to the formation of a local community group, The Friends of Chopwell Wood to oppose any local plans. The Friends were well aware not only of the timber value of Chopwell Wood but also that the land contained coal and other valuable minerals that would soon be exploited if the woodland were to be privatised. The Friends, together with the Forestry Commission, campaigned to gain Woodland Park status for Chopwell Wood. This was granted in 1993, and it meant the wood had added protection to help preserve it for recreational use.
1993 to present day (2008)
Although there is still some commercial forestry, the Forestry Commission changed its policy and now actively promotes the recreational use of the wood. As well as people who just enjoy walking, the wood is a popular venue for mountain bikers and horse riders. There is a permanent orienteering course.
Chopwell Wood has PAWS status, which means it is a Plantation on an Ancient Woodland Site, and present policy is to let the ancient woodland regenerate. So when coniferous trees are felled they are not replanted and the native deciduous trees are allowed to regenerate. There are now over 60 different species of tree in Chopwell Wood. Oak trees are still one of the more prominent species, especially on the crags by the River Derwent, which is part of the ancient woodland. As well as all the different tree species, Chopwell Wood is home to a wide diversity of wildlife, wild flowers and fungi. The 21st century challenge for the Forestry Commission, and for The Friends of Chopwell Wood, is to try and ensure there is a balance between recreational use, the conservation of wildlife and the use of the wood for educational purposes.
Links
Royal Forestry Society www.rfs.org.uk
Forestry Commission www.forestry.gov.uk
Seed to Saw www.northerngrid.org/ngflwebsite/SeedtoSaw
Questions
- What forest was Chopwell Wood originally part of?
- How long ago were the Romans at Chopwell Wood?
- Who is Chopwell believed to be named after?
- What is meant by Crown Property?
- What was the name of the flagship of King Charles the First?
- In what decade did the woodland become known as the Chopwell Plantation?
- When were coniferous trees first planted in Chopwell Wood?
- Where in Chopwell Wood was the Forestry Training School?
- In what year did the Forestry Commission take over full management of Chopwell Wood?
- In the 1920s, for how long did a forester work each day?
- Who were Timber Jills?
- What status was granted to Chopwell Wood in 1993?
- Why was this status (Q12) important?
- What recreational activities would you find in Chopwell Wood in the 21st century?
- What do the letters PAWS stand for?
Answer The Wild Wood
Answer 2000 years
Answer Saxon Chief Ceoppa and his nearby well
Answer property owned by the king or queen.
Answer Sovereign of the Seas
Answer 1820s
Answer 1850s
Answer Fiddlers Green
Answer 1923
Answer 10 hours
Answer women from the Land Army who worked in timber processing.
Answer Woodland Park status
Answer it meant the woodland had added protection for recreational use and could not be privatised.
Answer walking; cycling; horse riding; orienteering
Answer plantation on an ancient woodland site
