Anyone interested in buying a woodland?
Discussion
Hello all, PH might not be the best place to put this but worth a go. For about a year I've been thinking about getting a little woodland (4-6 acres) somewhere in the Southeast (Surrey, Sussex, North Kent, Bucks, Herts or Essex - Basically within an hour or so of London) and I've seen several that fit bill but the problem I've got is its an investment of around £30k-£35k. I can justify spending about half of that but it would be too much to take on individually. The idea came to me of maybe finding a few people interested in the same thing jointly purchasing a woodland. 2 or 3 people would be ideal. The main aim of it would be a nice place to go (ie camping with the family/friends, getting away from the city for a few days kind of arrangement) but I'd also like to do some small scale forestry work to provide a bit of an income (mainly firewood but some willow and hazel coppices). It wouldn't make much but would give some return that could be spent on projects within the woods. My background is in countryside management so I've got a pretty good idea about what I'm doing and have lots of equipment.
Again, might not be the best forum but if anyones interested in chatting about it please PM me. Rich.
Again, might not be the best forum but if anyones interested in chatting about it please PM me. Rich.
Horse_Apple said:
Simpo Two said:
I don't see a clear return and I'm not into camping, but it's nice to be able to say 'I own a chunk of Buckinghamshire'!
Think of the bodies you could hide though.Have you noticed how bodies are ALWAYS found by people walking dogs? I reckon that statistically, if you own a dog, you should find a body every 7.2 miles.
Edited by Simpo Two on Tuesday 27th October 11:19
Simpo Two said:
Horse_Apple said:
Simpo Two said:
I don't see a clear return and I'm not into camping, but it's nice to be able to say 'I own a chunk of Buckinghamshire'!
Think of the bodies you could hide though.Have you noticed how bodies are ALWAYS found by people walking dogs? I reckon that statistically, if you own a dog, you should find a body every 7.2 miles.
Edited by Simpo Two on Tuesday 27th October 11:19
Horse_Apple said:
Simpo Two said:
Horse_Apple said:
Simpo Two said:
I don't see a clear return and I'm not into camping, but it's nice to be able to say 'I own a chunk of Buckinghamshire'!
Think of the bodies you could hide though.Have you noticed how bodies are ALWAYS found by people walking dogs? I reckon that statistically, if you own a dog, you should find a body every 7.2 miles.
Edited by Simpo Two on Tuesday 27th October 11:19
Buying a small bit of wood land does sound really cool for "getting away" from the world for a bit.
But A)I'm not near there
and B)I don't have the cash
Good luck though!
Nice idea.
Make sure you get someone who knows their stuff with the legals though as it can be a mine field.
You'll need to look out for Ancient monuments, public footpath, make sure that there is the right to remove the timber as will as sometimes it is reserved.
Quite a lot of it being sold off at the moment.
Make sure you get someone who knows their stuff with the legals though as it can be a mine field.
You'll need to look out for Ancient monuments, public footpath, make sure that there is the right to remove the timber as will as sometimes it is reserved.
Quite a lot of it being sold off at the moment.
Hello all, thanks for the PM's and replies. I'll reply via PM seperately to everyone. I've not got all the answers but what I know is most woodlands have covenants attached which stipulate the woodlands are to be used for 'peaceful activities and sustainable forestry'. This means you can't rent it out for paintball, can't build an offroading track on it, can't run a commerical campsite, can't completely log the place and youcan't run any other business from it apart from forestry (although the forestry business based on the woodland doesn't have to work on the site its based). You can actively manage the woodland meaning removal of non-native trees as long as suitable replacements are planted, coppice and pollard where appropriate. You can't live on the woodland, but you can stay there for upto a month a year (I'd imagine this is relatively hard to enforce, just as long as you don't take the piss and try and set up residence there). You can create track and temporary structures relating to forestry work without planning permission. I've been keen to create an open area that would be covered in mulch that could be used as an area for camping, parking a vehicle, wood working, that sort of thing.
Please feel free to PM me if anyone else's keen. I am only looking for ownership with 2-3 people really to avoid it getting very complicated. We'd all have to have a similar approach to it all and of course have a solicitor signed document containig what we have agreed upon in terms of selling up or whatever.
Please feel free to PM me if anyone else's keen. I am only looking for ownership with 2-3 people really to avoid it getting very complicated. We'd all have to have a similar approach to it all and of course have a solicitor signed document containig what we have agreed upon in terms of selling up or whatever.
Puggit said:
I already own 2 hectares of woodland - shame it's in France 
I'd love to own a patch in the UK too, but money is all tied up at the moment. Good luck.
There's some good woodland for sale in South Oxon just north of Reading. Rolling Chiltern hills etc.
I'd love to own a woodland in France but the problem is the accessibiltiy. I'd like somewhere I could just jump in the car and nip down to in an hour. If you ever want any help with tree work out there I'd be happy to have a working holiday I'd love to own a patch in the UK too, but money is all tied up at the moment. Good luck.
There's some good woodland for sale in South Oxon just north of Reading. Rolling Chiltern hills etc.
. Despite doing arboricultural work as part of my job I still absolutely love it as a hobby as well. 
Puggit said:
I already own 2 hectares of woodland - shame it's in France
I'd love to own a patch in the UK too, but money is all tied up at the moment. Good luck.
There's some good woodland for sale in South Oxon just north of Reading. Rolling Chiltern hills etc.
Puggit, have you got a linky for this land please old chap?I'd love to own a patch in the UK too, but money is all tied up at the moment. Good luck.
There's some good woodland for sale in South Oxon just north of Reading. Rolling Chiltern hills etc.
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