ENGLISH OAK
Quercus robur

Probably the best known tree in Britain and an important feature of the English landscape. They live for hundreds of years and have always been important for their timber. The wood has been used to build ships, houses and furniture, but is also renowned for its use in casks for maturing wines and spirits.

Beechwood fires burn bright & clear,
If the logs are kept a year,
Chestnut only good they say,
If for long, it’s laid away,
But Ash new or Ash old,
Is fit for Queen with crown of Gold,
Birch & Fir logs burn too fast,
Blaze up bright and do not last,
It is by the Irish said,
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread,
Elmwood burns like churchyard Mold,
E’en the very flames are cold,
But Ash green or Ash Brown,
Is fit for Queen with Golden Crown,
Poplar gives a bitter Smoke,
Fills your eyes and makes you choke,
Apple wood will scent your room, With
an incense like perfume,
Oaken logs if dry and old,
Will keep away the winter’s cold,
But Ash wet or Ash dry,
A king shall warm his slippers by.

Background

Back in the dark winter month of January 2009, I was fortunate enough to move into our new house with my daughter El. Nothing too special, just a Victorian, red brick terrace on a cul-de-sac of a vibrant, colourful community.

With aide from a government scheme and a lot of endless beaurocracy we finally managed to buy our first home. What is special about the house is the heating and hot water supply (if managed well) is free! It is powered by a 3-way heating system, a wood burning stove, a southerly facing solar thermal panel and a back-up combi boiler.

Nearing the completion of our first, four seasons - I confidently estimate an annual saving of six hundred pounds a year on central heating and hot water costs. We spend one Sunday afternoon every month, with my partner Deb, managing our wood store for each of our houses. We do this from May to November, which gives us enough seasoned wood for the whole year. From this process I decided to produce a chart which aides in the ‘firewood collection’ & selection process.

Some types of wood are a waste of time to manage, others fill the house with gorgeous scents. Some need to be seasoned for a couple of years, others burn green. Traditional methods and folklore tales tell us all we need to know on the subject of ‘what’s good to burn’ and ‘what’s not’ - forgotten knowledge, ancient wisdom!