Your views on this wood requested please

[pickle]

Hi, I have the funds to purchase via a sipp (pension). My question to you is " what do you think?".
I appreciate that we are all different and have individual ideas of the purpose of owning a wood, but general views of its possibilities and pointers of what to look for if I take this further.
It is less than 30 minutes travelling time, is quite large for a non-commercial woodland, and has a nice "feel".

Please have a look at "Buckle Wood" near Cheltenham and tell me what you think
Thanks

[boxerman]

I think we could probably use a hint as how to find it. A quick search doesn't bring it up

[splodger]

is it this one?
http://www.mooreallen.co.uk/productdetails/105_sale_particulars.pdf

not looked at detaiils - just doing a possible link - but, 18 acres is a nice sized lump - not a bad price either.

[Andy M]

Found this http://www.mooreallen.co.uk/productdeta ... culars.pdf

Sounds interesting, though not many details. Mature, has a public footpath/track along an edge which may account for lower price. It really depends on how you feel for it. For me, it was important to be able to travel to spend a half day in my woods. Yours is also on a small road and has a pub in nearby village!

[boxerman]

That's got to be the one.......

I'm no expert and haven't yet got my place either so my opinions don't hold much weight here...

Firstly, there's no guarantee what actual price it will sell for - £70,000 is only a guide price so don't get too excited. You need to have a good walk around the place and check out potential issues for yourself, Yes,it's looks a good size and could go at a reasonable price but a few things that I'd want to consider are:

1) Age of trees are unknown and type other than Beech.

2) There's a lot of road frontage - this could potentially mean massive amounts of maintenance to ensure that nothing obstructs the highway or could be potentially dangerous.

3) There's a Bridleway running the complete length of the property - this gives easy and legal access to many folk, reduces privacy/security and has the potential to cause a few issues (including as above).

4) 'Area of Outstanding Beauty', ' Conservation Area' and 'SSSI'. These will create a distinct lack of freedom in what you want to do and are likely to result in requiring permission from various relevant bodies to undertake much in the way of work. Don't know that much about it but I figure you'd need a very thorough management plan - get it right and you'll likely have little problem but I'm guessing it won't make life any easier

5) 'Registered Common Land'. This is the one that would give me the most concern - it's not one I've seen before on woodland for sale and have little idea on this one. To me, Common Land is land that has been given to the people (usually of a specific area) for their use/enjoyment in perpetuity - that land belongs to the people and I have no concept of how anyone can sell it... However you view it or whatever the legalities of selling it I would think that it does mean that anyone has access to it without restriction.

I'm sure someone with more experience will be along shortly..

[vushtrri]

Common land can be owned by someone but everyone else has a 'right to roam' over it, ie not just restricted to using a public footpath. So if the local youths want to play football there whilst having a picnic and have a few beers (providing the local council haven't declared the area an alcohol free zone!)......they can and there is very little you can do about it....

[SimonFisher]

Common land can be owned by someone but everyone else has a 'right to roam' over it...

Is it really everyone else that has a right to something? My understanding was that it is usually a defined set of others with rights to use the land for grazing or to take materials for fuel. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_land

[SimonFisher]

Please have a look at "Buckle Wood" near Cheltenham and tell me what you think

The footpath and the adjacent road would be enough to make me avoid it. We've a road boundary on one of our woods and had a large beech tree come down and block it over the Christmas period a couple of years back. We were away at the time and paid nearly £500 to have it cleared plus the cost of having our deer fence repaired. We did get something like five tonnes of firewood out of it which is now processed and seasoning nicely, but it was an unplanned expense and hassle.

[pickle]

Well, I think that it is clear that the price reflects the issues with the woodland.
I have walked this woodland a couple of times recently and it has a lovely open feel to it,which was why I was trying to make it fit.

With the road running alongside, it has pull in areas which dog walkers seem to use - I thought I could put them off with brush build-up or possibly fencing.
The bridleway and footpath - I thought I could get this re-routed.
AONB, SSSI, CA - I though I could cope with..
The price - well this is the second time it has been advertised this year as the sale fell through recently and the Agents emailed me the details again as I had expressed an interest the first time, so I think it could go up or down.

OK, I admit defeat, I am trying to make it work, when it has too many negatives. Perhaps I will still visit it from time to time and think about the what ifs.....
In the meantime, thanks for your comments and direction. If you see any thing in my area (Gloucestershire), let me know.

Cheers

[SimonFisher]

... The bridleway and footpath - I thought I could get this re-routed ...

Ha ha ha, good luck with that one!