Free Logs

[nosherduke996]

Can anybody tell me if its o.k to pick up windblown wood by the roadside. I have just came back from a local ride and noticed how much wood there is around by the roadside so i am thinking of getting in my van and going around to pick it up for my logburner.

 

[MadoneRider1991]

Can anybody tell me if its o.k to pick up windblown wood by the roadside. I have just came back from a local ride and noticed how much wood there is around by the roadside so i am thinking of getting in my van and going around to pick it up for my logburner.

well i've done it for our wood burner

but i have heard you can be given a fine if court doing it

 

[Over The Hill]

I would like to know this myself.

I filled my car up with logs that were on the side of the road from a fallen tree (fell about 2 years ago). Police car went past and saw me. Just as I pulled out to drive home, there he was behind me! I was a bit worried, but when I turned off he carried on his way.

I am not really up on that area of law. I certainly would not take wood from over a fence or on any land that looked "owned". I have picked up bits from railway land (as they dont want it) and from land that looks like it is council owned and unfenced.

I think there may be laws going back into the mists of time as landowners did value fallen timber back then.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I used to fish all of my fiurewood out of the canal, or pick it up off the towpath, when I lived on a narrowboat. I never had any problems but I have no idea what the official legal position is.

 

[thomas]

I used to fish all of my fiurewood out of the canal, or pick it up off the towpath, when I lived on a narrowboat. I never had any problems but I have no idea what the official legal position is.

It's probably one of those things that if it was illegal the police who'd stop you would hopefully be reasonable and just tell you that....if even doing stopping to care.

Personally, anything dumped at the road side seems to be fair game.

 

[fossyant]

What's wrong with a bit of tidying up eh ?

 

[dan_bo]

Me and the missus have just come back from a walk with two armfuls of logs for drying

 

[fossyant]

I'd love an open fire....boo hoo, not even a fireplace in my gaff............

 

[nosherduke996]

They are nice, but hard work though. But it gives you a good excuse to get out and about.

 

[dan_bo]

I fitted one of these just before christmas, and it's transformed the house.


It's not far from you either Foss......

 

[fossyant]

I fitted one of these just before christmas, and it's transformed the house.


It's not far from you either Foss......

Not even got a chimney could go for a fake fireplace, but it's not the same.

 

[661-Pete]

I've often wondered about this - it probably boils down to some ancient law dating back to the Magna Carta or earlier - isn't it called 'estovers' or something? Anyway, I guess that in order to qualify for the right to collect firewood, you have to be a bona fide peasant or something, so best of luck!

We have no occasion for firewood in England, but we do in France, where it's even more of an issue, seeing as, in rural France anyway, everyone burns wood (it's the cheapest form of fuel for house heating, even if you're forced to buy it), and there's always plenty lying around. And indeed you often pass folks stopped by the roadside in their little Renault vans busy sawing away. We've had neighbours tipping us off about a fallen tree near the village, and it's first one to get there gets lucky, sort of thing, but we prefer not to be greedy. At present we don't visit in the winter, and there's plenty of prunings from our own garden to warm the house in the spring...

 

[Rhythm Thief]

They are nice, but hard work though.

I was quite happy pulling firewood out of the canal. Until one day when going up the Staffs and Worcs canal I spied a plank in the canal ahead. I squatted down on the back deck, one arm at full stretch holding the tiller and one reaching for the plank. When I grabbed it, it quickly became apparent that it was a large wooden box which only looked like a plank floating on the surface. It was the closest I came to falling in, and I wouldn't have given much for my chances of catching up with the boat. Fortunately, I had the sense to let go.

 

[Globalti]

The French are so much more advanced than us - they will happily collect all kinds of produce from the countryside. I disapprove of collecting snails though because it's so unsporting - the snails don't stand a chance.

We once collected some wood from the roadside in Scotland and a few minutes later had a visit from a very irate gamekeeper - we had collected the stuff used by his precious pheasants for cover. Ooops!

 

[Campfire]

Rythm Thief you're doing a favour if you pick up things from the canal! I picked up some really cobbles from the side of the road the other day. They must have dropped off a lorry! Funny thing is I cycled home with them. No wonder the last 2 miles were hard, thought it was just because I'd not been out for 6 weeks & had done 17 miles!