Horse Logging at Cleatop Wood | Yorkshire Dales National Park

Описание: Cleatop Wood is a 15 hectare woodland, situated near Settle in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, owned and managed by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA).

It is recorded as ancient semi-natural woodland, meaning that trees have been on this site since before 1600 – now a site of ecological importance. Today the Authority manages it for biodiversity conservation.

It is predominantly mixed native broadleaf (oak, birch, rowan, holly, beech, sycamore, with some pockets of ash), but a conifer component of non-native species (Japanese larch and pine) was planted in the woodland before the Authority acquired the site, presumably for timber production.

Up to date, the woodland has been managed by the Authority’s Trees and Woodlands Team, and Ranger and Volunteer services, carrying out the intermittent thinning of beech and conifer, but the long-term vision for the woodland is to restore the area of PAWS (plantation on ancient woodland) by felling and removing the non-native larch over a number of years, and replanting with native broadleaf species, and encouraging natural regeneration.

However, due to the nature and setting of the woodland, accessing the site and removing timber is challenging with modern machinery. And things got more complicated in the winter of 2021/22 when the woodland suffered severe wind blow from storm Arwen, and then again from subsequent storms. This left a high volume of timber to make safe and remove from the site.

After making contact with Tom Dutson from the British Horse Logging Association and learning about how he could help remove the timber from Cleatop with his Dales pony, Duchess, Meghann became passionate about supporting this silvacultural technique and the environmental benefits that come with it. Horse logging (or skidding) is a traditional timber extraction method, practiced in woodlands long before modern forestry machinery. It is a low impact method, meaning that less ground disturbance and compaction is caused to the woodland floor, and without the use of fuel and oil and Co2 emissions.

Tom and his team have been the perfect solution for working around the access challenges and sensitivities of this site, able to reach areas of the woodland that machinery can’t.

It’s been a real pleasure to watch them put their dedication and skills into action, and I’m really looking forward to working with them again in the future for the next round of timber extraction!