Our Wood | Norfolk Forestry Clu

Bretts Wood

In late 1993 club member the late Bob Brett a Norwich timber merchant made the club an offer that was difficult to refuse, it was 12 acres of land near Barford. The idea being for the club to plant it with hardwoods, manage it and produce timber that was of merchantable quality. The wood was also to be used for educational purposes, be wildlife friendly and be an asset to the club.

In early ‘94 the first management committee meeting was held at Bob’s home and a list was made for the first of 12,000 trees to be planted. The list comprised of 200 Sessile Oaks, 200 Pedunculate Oaks, 400 Cherry, 400 Sycamore, 400 Sweet Chestnut, 125 Birch, 50 Rowan, 25 Norway Maple and 200 Shrubs. Various other species were planted in the following years till phase 5 was planted in November 1997.

The trees were funded by grants from the forestry commission and had to be replanted if they did not survive so there followed several years of weeding and replanting. From those early days of an open field with a few hundred one foot tall twigs to what is now looking like a established wood the transformation is remarkable. The wood is now undergoing selected thinning, club members decide which trees need to be removed and Easton college organise people who are doing chainsaw training to fell them, this ties in with the remit of using the wood for education.

The wood is not open to the general public except on open days but access is available for club members.

In November 1997, the ground in this area was so hard that a wheeled post hole borer was used to make the planting holes.

The selected tree list comprised of 200 Sessile Oaks, 200 Pedunculate Oaks, 400 Cherry, 400 Sycamore, 400 Sweet Chestnut, 125 Birch, 50 Rowan, 25 Norway Maple and 200 Shrubs and various other species were planted across five planting seasons.

Bob Brett was a well-known timber merchant, he had a great love of woodland, trains and animals especially donkeys and pigs, all of which he used to help raise money for many local charities over many years.

Sadly, Bob died in 2001 after losing his fight against cancer and is remembered on a memorial in the glade. We are sure Bob would have been happy with how the wood has developed over the years.