We aim to keep our firewood production as carbon neutral as possible. One of the ways we do this is by replanting native trees to replace those we've felled. Furthermore, about half our firewood comes from branch pruning operations, this means the trees we've cut are still growing and still absorbing carbon dioxide.

All our firewood is split and left to season (dry out) in a covered barn for approximately 12 months. We sell our seasoned firewood by the cubic metre and it is delivered, loose, to your door.

Our firewood loads consist mainly of hardwoods such as Oak, Ash, Beech, Sycamore and Holly. However, from time to time our firewood loads may also include some aromatic woods such as Apple, Cherry, Plum and Eucalyptus.

1 cubic metre (1m³) = £70
2 or more cubic metres = £60 per m³

We can also provide small bags of seasoned kindling on request.

To order Arbor Cura firewood or kindling, please use our contact form or give us a call on 01273 823 550.


Firewood versus Fossil fuels

With energy prices on the rise, together with the efficiency of modern wood burning stoves, using firewood to warm the home is once again becoming a practical proposition for the homeowner.

When we burn fossil fuels (such as oil, coal and natural gas: the bi-products of decomposing organic matter compressed under layers of rock) we are releasing stored carbon into the atmosphere that has taken millions of years to accumulate. It will take many millions of years to replace these reserves, by the same process, once they are used up. We are simply using them up more quickly than they can be produced and as such fossil fuels are not a renewable energy source.

Trees that are felled for firewood, on the other hand, can be replaced by new trees in a relatively short space of time (normally just a few decades). This makes firewood a much more renewable energy source. Furthermore, burning firewood is almost completely 'carbon neutral’ because although carbon dioxide is released as the wood burns, it is absorbed by growing trees at almost the same rate.

Smoke

When we have a fire in the wood burner at home we are aiming for a dry, hot burn producing very little smoke. If you burn the right wood in the right way, the fire shouldn’t produce excessive amounts of smoke.

As you probably know from garden bonfires, lots of wet material produces lots of thick smoke. It therefore makes sense to use the driest fuel you can when selecting wood for your home fire. Properly seasoned wood is at the heart of a hot and smoke-free fire. Another thing to bear in mind is that a smoky fire is an inefficient one. We want all the energy released from the wood to heat our home not to disappear up the chimney in the form of smoke.

It's essential to know that the wood you are buying is properly seasoned and not still full of moisture. Here are some quick checks to help you tell the difference:

 

• Seasoned wood weighs much less than green wood.
  
   
• Seasoned wood looks darker, or grey when compared to freshly cut or “green” wood which is usually more yellow or cream coloured.
  
   
• Seasoned wood will have drying cracks showing at the flat, cut end.
  
   
• Seasoned wood will have loose bark compared to the bark of green wood which will be tightly attached.
  
   
• When two pieces of seasoned wood are knocked together they make a high, hollow sound whereas green wood makes a more dull sound.
  
   
• Seasoned wood should not hiss when burnt, this is the water in the wood boiling and being forced out as steam. Most of the fire’s energy will be used up in this process leaving very little to heat your home.
  
  Because hardwood species such as Oak, Ash and Beech have dense timber they provide more available fuel compared to the same volume of Softwoods such as Pine, Conifer, Poplar etc. Here is a detailed guide to the firewood qualities of trees commonly found in the UK.
  
  UK tree species as firewood
  
  ALDER- Poor heat output and short lasting. A low quality firewood.
  
  APPLE- It is easier to cut when green but absolutely terrible to burn if not seasoned properly. When seasoned it burns slowly and steadily with little flame but good heat. The scent is also pleasing.
  
  ASH- Arguably the best firewood in the UK providing plenty of heat and flame that lasts (will also burn very well green!) Easy to saw and split.
  
  BEECH- Good when well seasoned, it may shoot embers out a long way. Easy to split.
  
  BIRCH- Good heat and a bright flame, burns quickly. It will burn unseasoned. Can cause gum deposits in chimney if used a lot. Thin sheets of bark make a good fire starter and can be peeled from trees without damaging them.
  
  BLACKTHORN- Burns slowly, with lots of heat and little smoke.
  
  CEDAR- This is an aromatic wood that puts out a lot of lasting of heat but it produces a small flame. Great splitting wood.
  
  CHERRY- Burns slowly with good heat and a pleasant scent. Slow to start.
  
  CYPRESS- Burns well but fast when seasoned, and may spit. Good as kindling.
  
  DOUGLAS FIR- A poor fuel that produces little flame or heat.
  
  ELDER- A mediocre fuel that burns quickly without much heat output and tends to have thick acrid smoke.
  
  ELM- High water content (140%) that may smoke violently and should be dried for two years for best results. You may need a faster burning wood to get Elm going but once burning large log will burn for hours. Splitting can be difficult and should be done early on.
  
  EUCALYPTUS- A fast burning wood with a pleasant smell and no spitting. The stringy wood fibre can be hard to split and one option is to slice it into rings and allow to season and self split.
  
  HAWTHORN- Very good. Burns slowly but with good heat .
  
  HAZEL- Very good, tends to burn up a bit faster than most other hard woods.
  
  HOLLY- A good firewood that will burn when green, but best if dried a year. It is fast burning with a bright flame good when well seasoned.
  
  HORNBEAM- Burns almost as good as beech with a hot, slow burning fire. It is easy to split.
  
  HORSE CHESTNUT- Widely regarded as a poor firewood but if seasoned long enough will produce good flame and heating power but spits a lot.
  
  LABURNUM- Terrible firewood with acrid smoke, best to steer clear of it.
  
  LARCH- Fairly good for heat but crackles and spits and forms an oily soot in chimneys.
  
  LAUREL- Produces a brilliant flame.
  
  LEYLAND CYPRESS (LEYLANDII)- Burns well with a bright flame but crackles and spits needs to be seasoned well and is another that leaves an oily soot in the chimney. Smells great and its resinous wood makes great kindling. Best used on an outdoor fire.
  
  LILAC- Thinner branches make good kindling, whilst the thicker burn well with a clear flame and a very pleasant smell.
  
  LIME- A poor quality fuel with dull flame.
  
  MAPLE- A good all rounder.
  
  OAK- Regarded as one of the best in the UK, Oak is excellent, burning slowly with a good heat.
  
  PEAR- It is easier to cut when green but no good to burn when green. Pear burns slowly and steadily with little flame but good heat. The scent is also pleasing.
  
  PINE- Burns well with a bright flame but crackles and spits needs to be seasoned well and is another wood that gives off an oily soot in the chimney. Smells great and its resinous wood makes great kindling. Best used on an outdoor fire.
  
  PLANE (LONDON PLANE)- Burns pleasantly, but is likely to throw sparks.
  
  PLUM- Provides good heat with a nice aromatic sent.
  
  POPLAR- Widely considered one of the worst firewoods in the UK. It will burn but needs to be seasoned for at least two years. It burns very slowly with little heat which is why poplar is used to make matchsticks.
  
  ROWAN- A good firewood that burns hot and slow.
  
  RHODODENDRON- Burns well with a bright flame.
  
  ROBINIA (ACACIA)- Burns slowly, with good heat, but with acrid smoke.
  
  SPRUCE- A poor firewood that burns too quickly and with too many sparks.
  
  SYCAMORE- Burns with a good flame, with moderate heat. Lovely to split when green.
  
  SWEET CHESTNUT- Burns when seasoned but tends to spit excessively.
  
  WALNUT- Mediocre firewood but has an aromatic scent.
  
  WELLINGTONIA (GIANT SEQUOIA)- Poor for use as a firewood.
  
  WILLOW- Widely considered as a poor firewood although some consider it contributes if mixed with other species.
  
  YEW- Burns slowly, with fierce heat.