British Timber
We are passionate about British forestry and maintaining our woodlands. We only use ethically sourced timber from sustainable forests. The timbers we favour are oak, ash, elm, sweet chestnut and sycamore, all of which produce extremely attractive finishes and lend themselves to bespoke craftsmanship. Every piece of timber that we craft is hand-selected by us from local sawmills and is carefully assessed for quality and character in grain. Please note that:
The bespoke kitchen tables in our Collections are handmade to order; usually in Oak Ash or Elm. However if you see a dining room table design that you like and want to have it made in a timber that is not listed in the pricing calculator, just drop us a line and let us know your preference.
Our bespoke dining furniture are handbuilt in any timber of your choice. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.
Please see below for images and descriptions of the British timbers that we use.
British prime oak
English oak as a material runs deep in our national heritage. This fine timber has been used for hundreds of years to construct everything from sea-going vessels to fine furniture. We cherish British oak for its beautiful grain and figuring which tends to be more decorative and unique than in foreign oaks.
British Pippy oak
Our British forests produce the finest pippy oak in the world. The open pasture like nature of our woodlands, hedgerows and parks allows easy light penetration which encourages ‘epicormic growth’ on the base trunks of the trees. These growths, which look like tumours on the outside penetrate deep into the heart wood of the tree and when cut perpendicularly to the direction of travel, they appear as cat’s paws or patches of burr on the board.
British Elm
British Elm has a swirling grain full of character and aesthetic. Despite the tragedy of Dutch elm disease there are still enough stocks of British elm in our sawmills, and forests for us to continue to use this wonderful timber in our furniture for many years to come.
British Ash
British Ash is a native English species and has been used for centuries in traditional furniture making. Its flexibility and straight grain make it one of the best woods for forming curved components such as the backs of Windsor chairs.
British Sycamore
Reputedly introduced into Britain in the fifteenth century, the sycamore is now considered to be a native species. Being part of the Acer family, it is quite similar in appearance to the maple although it is not as hard. Sycamore is prized for its creamy white colour which is preserved through the use of special drying techniques and by felling the trees during the winter months when the sap is down. Sycamore is generally straight grained but in places it may become curly especially near the base of the tree.
