Land girls (and guys) at a wartime tree nurseryLevel: Series
Ref No: LKE/FOR
Extent: 10 boxes
Title: LKE Forestry
Dates: 1932-1982

Description: Professional archive created by Leonard Elmhirst and Dr Wilfred E Hiley relating to the activities of the Royal English Forestry Society (REFS), forestry policy and legislation including postwar forest policy and private woodlands, the Woodlands Dedication Scheme, and the wartime situation relating to pit props for mining industry. Records cover the Dartington Hall Woodlands and Forestry Department and also the establishment, activities, and merger of Dartington Woodlands Limited, Dartington Hall Forestry Training Centre and Dartington Timberwork Limited.

The records consist of correspondence primarily accumulated by Leonard Elmhirst through his various roles as member, chairman, president and vice-president of committees and associations.

Front row: Elmhirst, Lord Morley, the Duke of Somerset
and Dr Wilfred Hiley. Society of Foresters of Great Britain
meeting, Dartington, 1937 Additional material in this series includes: minutes; memoranda; reports; printed pamphlets; publications; press cuttings; catalogues; programmes; maps; deeds and agreements; notes; papers; and photographs.

For more information see the online catalogue reference LKE/FOR.

AdminHist: The occurrence of war, with its heavy demand for timber led to almost complete devastation of privately owned woodlands in England. Deforestation made it vitally necessary that a thorough and comprehensive scheme for the rehabilitation of private woodlands be instituted. A scheme whose purposes was defined as "...the propagation of young trees, the growing of these plants to maturity and when ripe and mature timber the conversion of them either into the sinews of war or the furnishings of peace".

A Dedication of Woodlands Scheme was later introduced to encourage the application of systematic management to private woodlands. In the interests of National Security this was necessary as the reserves of standing timber had been depleted during the war. By increasing the yield from home woodlands Britain could be made less dependent on overseas supplies of timber.

The RSFS and REFS believed it to be in the national interest that state and privately owned woodlands should continue to co-exist, and that privately owned woodlands should be supervised by a reconstituted Forest Authority, on which private owners should be represented. Their main objectives were: to ensure continuity of good management; to prevent devastation by timber speculators; to secure for both state and privately owned woodlands a reasonable annual return; and to obtain relief from the present system of death duties on private rural estates. They believed that better education, practical training, travelling scholarships, and a greater rural bias should be given in country schools and encouragement should be given to children to enter the forestry profession.

In 1945, the United Kingdom Forestry Committee was founded by Richard Proby, President of the Central Landowners Association (an association which aimed to promote and protect the interests of owners of agricultural and rural land in England and Wales). The aims of the Committee was to further the interests of private forestry societies, promote relations with the Forestry Commission, and to aid in Forestry Legislation. In 1950, the United Kingdom Forestry Committee came to a full agreement with the forestry commission after a struggle lasting 20 years.

The Home Grown Timber Marketing Association was a voluntary association whose objects give it power to do anything needed to help owners in marketing their forest products. The South Western Devon Branch of the Home Grown Timber Marketing Association was one of the most active branches.