Eriskay Wood comprises sweet chestnut coppice with mature oak standards. The west side of the wood will be ready for cutting in approximately 6 years and the east side in approximately 10 years. The east side of the woodland includes birch, willow, holly and hornbeam and natural regeneration within the coppice.

The chestnut coppice could be harvested, and the standard oak trees should be retained where possible. When seasoned the chestnut could be used as firewood in a wood-fired boiler to provide your central heating. In the coming years this woodland has enormous potential to provide a steady and sustainable supply of excellent firewood. It is worth noting that Woodlands.co.uk offer £300 towards a course for a new owner. This would provide the opportunity to learn the skills required to resume coppicing in the future.

Eriskay Wood has been designated as Ancient Semi-Natural Woodland (ASNW) by Natural England. This is woodland that has been under constant tree cover since at least 1600AD. It is valued as a rich reserve of biodiversity. There is a draft Management Plan and Felling Licence for Newlands Wood (of which Eriskay Wood is a part) – details of this are available upon request. It is noted in management plan that stands are generally well stocked; the chestnut is of good quality, and they would lend themselves to management on a relatively short rotation, providing timber for either commercial or private use.

Bat species will be present and will make use of the woodland and open areas within it for foraging. Species recorded in the vicinity include soprano pipistrelle, noctule, Bechstein’s and brown long-eared bats. All of these species might potentially roost in tree cavities, and older and storm damaged trees could provide suitable habitat.

The Woodland Wildlife toolkit suggests the range of bird species including garden warbler, hawfinch, spotted flycatcher, willow warbler, lesser redpoll, lesser spotted woodpecker, tree pipit, marsh tit and woodcock might be present within the woodland, either breeding or over-wintering.

There is plenty of opportunity to enhance the habitat for wildlife here, from the simple provision of bird and bat boxes to the management of the tree cover and ground flora.

- An ancient semi-natural mixed woodland within the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

- Good quality chestnut coppice providing a lifetime supply of firewood.

- Extremely private.

- Great access and a shared timber stacking area to facilitate the management of the wood.

Access to Eriskay Wood is via double metal gates off Court Lane (an owner will be provided a key for this locked gate). A stoned track leads to the ride stop entrance to Eriskay Wood. Here owners are able to drive in and park a car within the wood itself.

There are no public footpaths within the wood. The North Downs Way is accessible approx. 1 mile from the wood.

The wood is sold with the sporting rights.

The owner of Eriskay Wood will be asked to enter a covenant to ensure the quiet and peaceful enjoyment of the wood.

The wood lends itself to both amenities use as well as an opportunity to learn how to manage a small coppice wood. An owner could also learn and practice green woodworking - such as bodging. Or simply relax and picnic amongst the trees and see what birds can be spotted in the woods.

It seems likely that what would have originally been an oak woodland with hornbeam coppice was converted to mainly sweet chestnut coppice in the late 19th century (as there are not many very large coppice stools in evidence). There are some features of potential local archaeological interest in the woodland including a woodbank along the east boundary, and a small pit which is most likely to be a collapsed ‘denehole’ (historically used for chalk extraction for marling of adjacent agricultural land). There are some interesting old boundary pollarded hornbeam found along the east boundary.

The wood is approx. 1 mile from the Kent Showground, home to the annual Kent County Show. Held in July, this well-established show includes animals, horses, vintage vehicles and retail stands for a celebration of the best in the county. Maidstone is approximately 8 miles south-west of the wood.