A Crafty Walk Through Perry Wood

Traditional country crafts seem to have practically died out in Britain, but on this walk through Perry Wood you'll see that one, at least, is still being practised. It's the craft of coppicing and you'll see evidence of it early in this walk.

Coppicing, which comes from the French word 'couper' to cut, is an ancient way of managing woodland. When small trees are cut down they soon send up new shoots from the base. If there is plenty of light around them they grow tall and straight - providing a useful supply of timber that can be used for a wide range of purposes: it can be made into charcoal and firewood, woven into hurdles, cut into pea sticks, used to make hop poles, or turned into sturdy fence posts. Different woods have different qualities. Ash, for example, absorbs shock well, so is very good for making tool handles.

The most commonly coppiced wood today is sweet chestnut, which is highly durable and weathers to a dark grey. It is used to make fence posts, palings and hop poles. The species was introduced to Britain by the Romans, probably to provide a ready supply of chestnut flour for the legionaries, who longed for food like mama made. When blocks (or 'coups') of trees are coppiced they can go on producing wood for hundreds of years. Sweet chestnut grows very quickly and can be harvested every 12-15 years.

The beauty of coppicing is not simply that it provides timber without destroying trees. It also helps to provide a valuable habitat for wildlife. That might sound strange but it works like this: whenever the trees are coppiced, a clear patch is created in the wood. As the sun floods in, wild flowers like bluebells, sage and foxgloves spring up. You'll also see willow herb, often known as fireweed because it loves to grow on ground that has been disturbed. These plants in turn attract insects such as butterflies and beetles. In time the trees begin to grow back, creating a scrubby area that is an ideal breeding ground for birds.

In chestnut coppice you find an extraordinary range of bird species, including blackcaps, chiffchaffs, yellowhammers and nightingales. Eventually the chestnut coppice grows tall and creates a dense canopy. This is not quite as attractive to wildlife, so they move on to the next cleared area. The seeds of the plants remain dormant in the soil then spring into life when the plot is cleared again. As well as sweet chestnut, you'll see oaks, beeches and Scots pine as you wander through this working woodland.

While you're there

If you're into trees you'll love Brogdale, the home of the National Fruit Collection. It's near Faversham, not far from Perry Wood and has over 2,300 varieties of apple alone, as well as pears, cherries, plums, nuts, medlars and quinces. There are guided tours and you can buy fruit to take home with you. If you've got room in the car you can even buy a tree.

Where to eat and drink

The Rose and Crown pub does a wide range of good bar meals. Alternatively you can go into Faversham where there are several pubs and coffee shops. Brogdale, near Faversham, also has a coffee shop where you can get snacks and hot drinks.

What to look for

The viewing platform, known as The Pulpit is at the highest point of the wood, 500ft (152m) above sea level. A semaphore signalling station once stood here, one of a series established by the Admiralty in the days before electronic communications. These stations allowed the Admiralty in London to keep in touch with their establishments on the coast.