Profile: Hilary Burke

Hilary Burke

Contributor

During his seven years in the UK distant water trawling fleet, forestry had always seemed an attractive alternative to Hilary Burke, should a change of occupation be required. While the vessel he was aboard was tied up at North Shields, he joined the squad of a Newcastle-based landscaper and tree surgeon. After a week with a spade he was offered a caravan in the woods and a chainsaw. A stand of 100-year-old beech was to be felled for a north Yorkshire sawmiller. The work eventually completed, he moved back to the tree surgery side, interspersed with hardwood and softwood harvesting and extraction. Being in Northumberland, it was maybe inevitable he would end up cutting with the big clearfelling squads at Kielder – with a spell in Kent and Sussex clearing the ‘hurricane’ damage. A temporary six-month lease of a property in the middle of Kielder forest has now stretched to 30 years, with most of his time on the saw cutting timber close to home in the Kielder thinning programme.

Latest articles from Hilary Burke

Uniforest’s Titan 53/40 has for a few years been one of the premier mobile firewood processors on the market. Jeremy reports that the new Titan 53/40 Premium, which he has operated in Europe, has really upped the game in firewood production.

Machinery Uniforest, Malwa and Dipperfox take centre stage during Treeline demo days
Treeline Woodlands held a pair of demo days in June at its base in Baddinsgill, West Linton.

The Waratah H212 weighs only 770 kg (without rotator and link). It can fell and process trees up to 52 cm in diameter. It is said to be particularly agile in dense stands of small-diameter timber. The carrier is a Doosan DX140LCR.

Machinery The inside story of John Deere and Waratah dealer's rise in forestry
Richard Court Forestry Engineering hosted an exhibition and demonstration of machinery near its base in Surrey.

Visitors to the Mains of Fincastle are treated to a view of three aspects of the glen. Above on the left, a commercial coniferous plantation has been established on the high ground and is managed for timber production

Agroforestry Exploring agroforestry success in the heart of the Highlands
FJ was afforded the chance to learn how one Pitlochry farm’s approach to agroforestry is yielding great benefits for both timber and livestock.

A classic Fuelwood line-up awaits the visitors to Baddinsgill; Valtra tractors and FTG Moheda loaders to power and feed a range of Heizohack chippers. Woodchip boilers remain the core business of Heizohack.

Machinery Grapples, firewood processors, and cone splitters star during Fuelwood open days
Treeline Woodlands hosted Fuelwood’s open days north of the border on 7 and 8 July.

Making the back cut in a pine with the Mall electric two-man saw. The saw motor unit is very similar in shape and size to the saw motor on the more commonly seen Mall 6P (pneumatic).

Chainsaws How the electric chainsaw helped win the war
Electric chainsaws may currently be all the rage, even as many forestry professionals remain sceptical of their capabilities.

Mitchell Cox at the controls of the JCB Fastrac has been with KWR for around a year. Jack Down operates the Ufkes Greentec chipper from the cab of the Fendt 939 Vario.

Contracting KWR on the road: How the forestry firm is tackling ash dieback in North Yorkshire
Catching up with the contracting team as they tackle ash along the roadside in North Yorkshire.

People from across the country attended the event

Equipment 'So much better than watching a video!': We go into the forest and join Fuelwood's open day
Held at three locations in England and Scotland in September and October, Fuelwood's open days offered attendees the chance to see live demonstrations.

Oakleaf demo day: Thinning Brown’s Wood
Operations to thin broadleaf woodland in Leicestershire provided an ideal opportunity to showcase a range of low-impact machinery available from Oakleaf Forestry. Hilary Burke visited the demo day hosted by Oakleaf and Sharkey Forestry to learn more.

D J Services Borders' Enviro-Mounder: Making an impression
Hilary Burke reports on the Enviro-Mounder, a recent creation from D J Services Borders which creates mounds accurately without leaving a continuous open furrow – and is growing in popularity.

Fuelwood: Open for business
Following the cancellation of APF 2020, Fuelwood opted to host a demonstration week at its refurbished site in Warwick in September and at the Fuelwood Scotland site near Edinburgh in early October. Hilary Burke reports on how the events went.

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Hilary Burke

Latest articles from Hilary Burke

Machinery Uniforest, Malwa and Dipperfox take centre stage during Treeline demo days
Treeline Woodlands held a pair of demo days in June at its base in Baddinsgill, West Linton.

Machinery The inside story of John Deere and Waratah dealer's rise in forestry
Richard Court Forestry Engineering hosted an exhibition and demonstration of machinery near its base in Surrey.

Agroforestry Exploring agroforestry success in the heart of the Highlands
FJ was afforded the chance to learn how one Pitlochry farm’s approach to agroforestry is yielding great benefits for both timber and livestock.

Machinery Grapples, firewood processors, and cone splitters star during Fuelwood open days
Treeline Woodlands hosted Fuelwood’s open days north of the border on 7 and 8 July.

Chainsaws How the electric chainsaw helped win the war
Electric chainsaws may currently be all the rage, even as many forestry professionals remain sceptical of their capabilities.

Contracting KWR on the road: How the forestry firm is tackling ash dieback in North Yorkshire
Catching up with the contracting team as they tackle ash along the roadside in North Yorkshire.

Equipment 'So much better than watching a video!': We go into the forest and join Fuelwood's open day
Held at three locations in England and Scotland in September and October, Fuelwood's open days offered attendees the chance to see live demonstrations.

Oakleaf demo day: Thinning Brown’s Wood
Operations to thin broadleaf woodland in Leicestershire provided an ideal opportunity to showcase a range of low-impact machinery available from Oakleaf Forestry. Hilary Burke visited the demo day hosted by Oakleaf and Sharkey Forestry to learn more.

D J Services Borders' Enviro-Mounder: Making an impression
Hilary Burke reports on the Enviro-Mounder, a recent creation from D J Services Borders which creates mounds accurately without leaving a continuous open furrow – and is growing in popularity.

Fuelwood: Open for business
Following the cancellation of APF 2020, Fuelwood opted to host a demonstration week at its refurbished site in Warwick in September and at the Fuelwood Scotland site near Edinburgh in early October. Hilary Burke reports on how the events went.

Hilary Burke

Latest articles from Hilary Burke

Machinery Uniforest, Malwa and Dipperfox take centre stage during Treeline demo days Treeline Woodlands held a pair of demo days in June at its base in Baddinsgill, West Linton.

Machinery The inside story of John Deere and Waratah dealer's rise in forestry Richard Court Forestry Engineering hosted an exhibition and demonstration of machinery near its base in Surrey.

Agroforestry Exploring agroforestry success in the heart of the Highlands FJ was afforded the chance to learn how one Pitlochry farm’s approach to agroforestry is yielding great benefits for both timber and livestock.

Machinery Grapples, firewood processors, and cone splitters star during Fuelwood open days Treeline Woodlands hosted Fuelwood’s open days north of the border on 7 and 8 July.

Chainsaws How the electric chainsaw helped win the war Electric chainsaws may currently be all the rage, even as many forestry professionals remain sceptical of their capabilities.

Contracting KWR on the road: How the forestry firm is tackling ash dieback in North Yorkshire Catching up with the contracting team as they tackle ash along the roadside in North Yorkshire.

Equipment 'So much better than watching a video!': We go into the forest and join Fuelwood's open day Held at three locations in England and Scotland in September and October, Fuelwood's open days offered attendees the chance to see live demonstrations.

Oakleaf demo day: Thinning Brown’s Wood Operations to thin broadleaf woodland in Leicestershire provided an ideal opportunity to showcase a range of low-impact machinery available from Oakleaf Forestry. Hilary Burke visited the demo day hosted by Oakleaf and Sharkey Forestry to learn more.

D J Services Borders' Enviro-Mounder: Making an impression Hilary Burke reports on the Enviro-Mounder, a recent creation from D J Services Borders which creates mounds accurately without leaving a continuous open furrow – and is growing in popularity.

Fuelwood: Open for business Following the cancellation of APF 2020, Fuelwood opted to host a demonstration week at its refurbished site in Warwick in September and at the Fuelwood Scotland site near Edinburgh in early October. Hilary Burke reports on how the events went.

Machinery Uniforest, Malwa and Dipperfox take centre stage during Treeline demo days
Treeline Woodlands held a pair of demo days in June at its base in Baddinsgill, West Linton.

Machinery The inside story of John Deere and Waratah dealer's rise in forestry
Richard Court Forestry Engineering hosted an exhibition and demonstration of machinery near its base in Surrey.

Agroforestry Exploring agroforestry success in the heart of the Highlands
FJ was afforded the chance to learn how one Pitlochry farm’s approach to agroforestry is yielding great benefits for both timber and livestock.

Machinery Grapples, firewood processors, and cone splitters star during Fuelwood open days
Treeline Woodlands hosted Fuelwood’s open days north of the border on 7 and 8 July.

Chainsaws How the electric chainsaw helped win the war
Electric chainsaws may currently be all the rage, even as many forestry professionals remain sceptical of their capabilities.

Contracting KWR on the road: How the forestry firm is tackling ash dieback in North Yorkshire
Catching up with the contracting team as they tackle ash along the roadside in North Yorkshire.

Equipment 'So much better than watching a video!': We go into the forest and join Fuelwood's open day
Held at three locations in England and Scotland in September and October, Fuelwood's open days offered attendees the chance to see live demonstrations.

Oakleaf demo day: Thinning Brown’s Wood
Operations to thin broadleaf woodland in Leicestershire provided an ideal opportunity to showcase a range of low-impact machinery available from Oakleaf Forestry. Hilary Burke visited the demo day hosted by Oakleaf and Sharkey Forestry to learn more.

D J Services Borders' Enviro-Mounder: Making an impression
Hilary Burke reports on the Enviro-Mounder, a recent creation from D J Services Borders which creates mounds accurately without leaving a continuous open furrow – and is growing in popularity.

Fuelwood: Open for business
Following the cancellation of APF 2020, Fuelwood opted to host a demonstration week at its refurbished site in Warwick in September and at the Fuelwood Scotland site near Edinburgh in early October. Hilary Burke reports on how the events went.