We planted the woodland at Leys Farm in the 1980s, and over 40 years it has become a familiar, much-loved sight locally, with ash as one of its defining species. Like woodland owners across the country, we are now losing ash to dieback, and affected trees need to come down for safety and the health of the remaining woodland. That loss is why we began producing air-dried ash firewood at Leys Farm.
Air-dried ash firewood from our woodland
Rather than waste the timber, we fell, cut and air-dry it for firewood ourselves, here on the farm. Every log is checked to 20% moisture or below before it leaves us, so what arrives at your door is genuinely ready to burn, not just seasoned in name. We offer it in 10cm or 20cm cuts, so it suits most stoves and fires without you needing to trim it down further.
This is the thinking behind what we now call The Firewood Collective. It started as a practical response to a difficult problem, but it has grown into something we are genuinely proud of: a way of turning a loss into a long-term gain for the farm and the people who visit or live near it.
For most customers, a Standard Box (around 15kg, £48.95) is enough to top up a log store, and the Five-Box Reserve is there for anyone who would rather order once and not think about it again until spring. We also sell kindling and natural firelighters separately or as a bundle, for anyone who wants the whole job done in one order. For those of you nearby, in and around Swerford and Chipping Norton, we can still deliver a full Can-Am load, around 200–220kg, for £100, which is by far the best value if you have the space to store it.
Firewood that helps fund replanting
None of this exists for its own sake. Every order, whether it is a single box of kindling or a full local load, feeds directly back into the woodland’s next chapter. With Forestry Commission support, we are replanting with a more diverse, climate-resilient mix than was ever envisaged when the woodland was first planted in the 1980s. This includes wild service tree, small-leaved lime, alder, crab apple and disease-resistant elm, alongside the healthy trees already here, providing a new under-canopy so the woodland is fit for the next 40 years, not just recovering from the last few.
It is a simple exchange when you think about it: useful, honest fuel for your home now, in return for a woodland that will be richer and more resilient than the one we started with. If you would like to support this work, our full range is available through The Firewood Collective, and if you are local and would prefer a Can-Am load, you can WhatsApp me directly on 07973 258041 to arrange delivery.