In 1985 the author fulfilled for himself every forester's ambition - ownership of a woodland to manage and enjoy exactly as he thought fit. With his brother-in-law, he bought a neglected woodland in Hampshire and, with the help of family and friends, has brought it back to a working woodland, employing a combination of ancient and modern rural skills. A Wood of Our Own tells the story of all that has happened since the idea germinated: making the purchase, replanting, encounters with people and animals, the drama of two great gales, unravelling the history of the wood, and selling the timber.

Julian Evans, forester for twenty-five years, author of two professional forestry books, and currently Chief Research Officer for the Forestry Commission, combines anecdote, natural history, and professional wisdom in a gripping story. The factual account of the purchase and management of the wood runs alongside an entertaining description of the people, events, and incidents associated with it. Fine cameo line drawings by John White, artist and forester, accompany the text.