Stephen is a sylvicultural and arboricultural consultant and contractor, specialising in countryside management, and particularly the small-scale management of ancient semi-natural woodland. With a lifelong interest in nature and the countryside, he studied for a degree in Rural Environment Studies, and worked for 24 years for Essex County Council in the Countryside Section, eventually leading the Arboricultural Team in the management of the County Council tree and woodland resource. He left to set up his own business in January 2004.

Becky Westover ND (Countryside Studies), BA (Hons).

Becky, having worked with local tree surgery firms, at an outdoor education centre in old growth temperate rain forest in Oregon, U.S.A., and in a rural community on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia, has joined her father's business.

We offer the following services and products:

Arboricultural Consultancy, particularly tree surveys for health and safety, and for development.

Sylvicultural Consultancy, including woodland management planning, grant applications and Felling Licence applications.

Small scale woodland management contracting.

Woodland products including firewood, rustic fencing and garden structures, pea and bean sticks, and garden and conservatory furniture.

Specialist timbers for traditional timber buildings, including cleft lath and batten, cleft oak roofing shingles and axe hewn beams and boards

We manage several areas of woodland situated between Braintree and Halstead in Essex, UK. The woodland area consists of a little over 200 hectares; 64 hectares of which are a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to the Small-Leafed Lime (Tilia cordata) coppice.

Ancient semi-natural woodlands have been managed for centuries to produce the timber needs of the population. These woods are not suited to meet modern requirements for large volumes of homogenous material, and their management is not easily economically viable today.

The few remaining traditional markets, and new products using traditional techniques, help to maintain management in these woods, which in turn helps to maintain their unique value as a historical, ecological and landscape resource. As part of the business, we try to create and sell products of use, and even beauty, from the timber taken from the woods.

We can be seen demonstrating our skills and selling our services at various shows in Essex and Suffolk.