The Woodland Year: 1 [Illustrated] (Hardcover)

One of Ben Law's remarkable gifts, besides being arguably Britain's greatest living woodsman, is a knack for inspiring others. The Woodland Year is a month-by-month journey through Ben's woodland in the Sussex Weald, and a celebration of every aspect of sustainable woodland management. In words that are often lyrical but always ungilded, he describes a way of life that is both economically and ecologically viable. As such, it holds some of the fundamental keys to how we can achieve a more sustainable, lower carbon society. Ben is a true pioneer and is quite simply creating a woodland renaissance in Britain. Read this, and you will surely want to be part of it. --From the Foreword by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, TV chef, author and campaigner

The Woodland Year is a triumphant celebration of the re-emergence of our traditional woodland culture. Ben Law expands on his previous writings to take the reader month by month through the activities that sustain his coppice-related livelihood at Prickly Nut Wood. With his usual modesty and good humour, The Woodland Year provides a kaleidoscopic insight into the woodsman s life. Amidst the background narrative of Ben's seasonal tasks at home in the beautiful woods immortalised by Channel 4's Grand Designs appear wildfood recipes (must try the Party Squirrel ), homemade drinks (beech leaf liqueur anyone?) greenwood crafts, building with local timber, profiles of our indigenous trees and fascinating vignettes by another dozen woodlanders. In their own words, each describes his or her own experience of making woodland work a viable and rewarding option. Images of working horses on a winter s dawn, elfish children stoking the fire and sunlight glancing through dappled bluebell woods are realistically balanced with the physical and mental rigours and realities of sustaining a livelihood from wood, woodlands and related activities. Each month we meet charcoal burners, hurdle makers, chairmakers, community woodlanders, teachers and apprentices and also gain a view of the full and rich life that Ben has created managing his own woodland. If, like me, you took Ben's earlier Woodland Way as a definitive textbook on your path to a lower-carbon, more sustainable, low-impact woody-related lifestyle then this book is a joyful reaffirmation that you found the right textbook; that there are others out there successfully enjoying this challenging and rewarding way of life. If like millions of others your imagination was entrapped by Ben's beautiful, quirky, homemade woodland house as it appeared on television, then this book is equally captivating. At once realistic, practical and alluringly tactile it should fairly become a springboard for those seeking a sustainable livelihood from the woods. At the same time it is a fascinating book for the uninitiated to dip into: an introductory trove full of inspiration, colour and wonder. --Henry Dowell, Permaculture Magazine

Packed with stunning colour photographs, The Woodland Year is an intimate month-by-month journey through Ben Law's yearly cycle of work, his naturally attuned lifestyle and his deep understanding of his woods. Each month also includes guest contributions from woodlanders in other parts of England and Wales. The Woodland Year provides a fascinating insight into every aspect of sustainable woodland management; the cycles of nature, seasonal tasks, wild food gathering, wine making, mouthwatering and useful recipes, coppice crafts, round pole timber frame eco-building (pioneered by Ben in the UK), nature conservation, species diversity, tree profiles and the use of horses for woodland work. This is a profound book that is both practical and poetic. It describes a way of life that is economically and ecologically viable and sets a new standard for managing our woods in a low impact, sustainable way. As such, it holds some of the fundamental keys to how we can achieve a lower carbon society.