Buying firewood is potentially tricky and quality is hard to identify for the unwary buyer. A good start is this Forestry Commission paper. The key questions buyers are recommended to ask [with our answers] are:
“There are a number of issues to consider when choosing a log supplier in addition to who is
offering you the best price:
• Are the logs the right size for your stove? [We can cut to any size on request.]
• Are the logs green or seasoned? It is usually cheaper to buy green logs and dry them yourself,
but you will then need to consider how much space they will take up. (Kiln dried logs,
however, are likely to have used considerable energy in production.) [All logs are seasoned to less than 20% moisture content without using the wasteful practice of kiln drying.]
• Are you buying by weight or volume? Most log suppliers supply by the ‘load’; what does this
mean for your individual supplier? [We supply in bags which have been tested against a cubic metre measure and can quote prices by bag or cubic metre.]
• Where are the logs coming from? Is the woodland sustainably managed, and reasonably
nearby? [The woodland has a Forestry Commission management plan in place to ensure sustainability and wood is only sold locally, typically within 3 miles of the wood.]”
Hardwoods are the more dense than softwoods, requiring less volume for a given heat output. Hardwoods have different burning qualities. Here are the species available in the wood.
- Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) High grade. Steady burn. The most abundant in the wood.
- Hazel (Corlyus avellana) High grade firewood though faster burning. The aim is to increase further supplies of this species through coppicing.
- Oak (Quercus robur) High grade firewood. Needs more seasoning than ash. Burns slowly.
- Hawthorn (Crategus monogyna) Good to high grade firewood that burns steadily and well.
- Elm (Ulmus minor, Ulmus glabra) Good grade firewood when fully seasoned. Slower to get going and best mixed with faster burning species.
- Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) Rated as a poorer firewood as it tends to spit, but otherwise burns steadily. Better for wood burners.
- Other species occasionally available are sycamore, holly and yew. All are rated good grade firewood.