Category: Ransfords

As were saying about the importance of forestry and sawmilling…

Here’s another illustration of the importance of forestry and sawmilling – not only to the nation but also to its rural areas. This picture is taken above our sawmill in Bishop’s Castle, Shropshire. In the last few years over £25 million has been invested here to make it one of the most efficient mills of… Read more »

The post As were saying about the importance of forestry and sawmilling… first appeared on Charles Ransford & Son.

It’s taken a year but it’s well worth the time and effort

Our new tray sorter for heavy items like gate posts is now up and running almost exactly 12 months after we started preparing the ground. Click below to check it out….
The post It’s taken a year but it’s well worth the time and effort first appea…

A rapid response thanks to our flexible friends

Yesterday was our first day back at work so it was nice to hear from a customer who wanted a load of posts. Trouble was that they were needed in Cornwall this week! As luck would have it we had a log wagon in the yard unloading, so, we loaded it up with the posts… Read more »

New firewood from an ancient forest

This load of Beech was delivered to us just before Christmas courtesy of Euroforest and AW Jenkinson and their driver Ray. The logs will be turned into kiln dried firewood in very short order. The load is especially interesting since it comes from Savernake Forest which covers around 4,500 acres in Wiltshire – and has… Read more »

A walk in the woods

A couple of weeks ago we reflected on the sheer versatility of wood as a building and landscape material. Here’s another example: woodchips spread on a muddy track through the woods to keep the going less muddy. It’s the most natural solution in the world. Of course, there’s nothing better after a country walk on… Read more »

It’s always good to see old timers

Anyone who knows Ransfords knows that many of the folk who work here are passionate about the restoration, preservation and showing of vintage vehicles of any kind. So, it was a real treat to welcome this old timer to our yard for a brief stay between shows. It’s a steam powered Sentinel made in Shrewsbury at… Read more »

During half term it’s all hands to the pump…

…or perhaps we should say all hands to the log grab. Just visible in the cab is our Operations Director Alistair who, thanks to the half term holiday, was the only qualified one around to unload a trailer full of logs when they arrived at the mill. The irregular shape and size of the logs… Read more »

When the wind blows

This video sent to us by our partners Euroforest shows one of our woodlands in Devon which was badly hit with severe windblown damage – over half of it was flattened during Storm Arwin in November last year.  Some products from this site have been marketed locally and the log material has come to our… Read more »

The virtuous circle of commercial forestry

These pictures are taken at one of our forestry holdings in the south west of England – an area whose warm and damp climate produces some of the best home-grown timber. The top picture shows logs being collected at the roadside to be transported to the mill here in Bishop’s Castle. The bottom one shows… Read more »

TWELVE STEPS TO SUSTAINABILITY #7

When we deliver to customers we make sure that we run the delivery vehicles with full loads for either a single or multi-drop, whenever we can. Like much of what we do here this efficiency not only makes good environmental sense, it makes good busines…

The first post

?
The construction of the new incisor and post pointing line is now virtually complete and this clip shows the very first post being pointed. A great day for Ransfords and a fantastic achievement by everyone who has been involved in the project.

New kit on the block

A new Volvo L120H has joined our team after an 18 month wait. These vehicles handle the co-products which arise from our sawmilling operation. In fact, 38% of what we cut ends up as sawdust, chip and bark which are sold on for a wide variety of uses. You can see the pride our operators… Read more »

A hive of activity

Scenes of feverish but well organised activity here as the concrete is poured for the new floor  in the building where the new tray sorter will be housed.. The new tray sorter will sort, cut, and stack sleepers and gate posts. These items are at the larger and heavier end of our product range so… Read more »

TWELVE STEPS TO SUSTAINABILITY #3

Wherever possible we allow forests to regenerate naturally as shown here where new growth is coming from the seeds scattered by the trees that once stood here. On average, trees absorb one tonne of CO2 for every cubic metre of growth. They also produce the oxygen we breathe – an average of 727 kilograms of… Read more »

TWELVE STEPS TO SUSTAINABILITY #3

Wherever possible we allow forests to regenerate naturally as shown here where new growth is coming from the seeds scattered by the trees that once stood here. On average, trees absorb one tonne of CO2 for every cubic metre of growth. They also produce the oxygen we breathe – an average of 727 kilograms of… Read more »

We’re cracking on!

Old floor dug out, new floor well on the way in the building where the new tray sorter will be housed.. The tray sorter will sort, cut, and stack sleepers and gate posts – items which are at the larger end of our production. It will make for a much more efficient operation but also… Read more »

Drum roll please for the next project!

Work has now started on the next phase of improvements. WBC are pictured here removing concrete ready for a new floor for the tray sorter. The tray sorter will sort, cut, and stack sleepers and gate posts – items which are at the larger end of our production. It’s all part of our continuing policy… Read more »

TWELVE STEPS TO SUSTAINABILITY: #2

We replant after felling with seedlings that are grown on specialist nurseries like this one from seed of native origin. Great British Timber is British from the very start.