Types of British Timber

Quercus robur

English oak is a very common tree in this area which can grow up to 40m tall. Oak is one of the hardest and most durable timbers due to its tannin content and density. The shade of colour can vary slightly depending on the tree and branch, meaning it can create a more unique and interesting design. The attractive golden colour and beautiful grain of oak make it a firm favourite with many of our clients, it is resilient to mould and fungal attacks. Oak can be applied to almost any interior or exterior purpose. 

 Pippy oak, sometimes called cat's paw oak. The small knots close together form the pippy part, larger ones are known as burrs.  The pattern is found when a tree has had challenging growing conditions. This is what leaves the pippy markings. Oak trees are very clever, just underneath the bark tin the trunk of the tree are thousands of small buds waiting to be formed if something happens to the crown of the tree or part dies. If these are not used, this is where the characteristics come from in the timber as once milled you see these small pips or burrs which make the gorgeous patterns that are so popular.

Bog Oak, is not a specific species, but is rather a term that designates oak that has been buried in a peat bog for hundreds or sometimes thousands of years. The extremely low oxygen conditions of the bog protect the wood from normal decay, while the underlying peat provides acidic conditions where iron salts and other minerals react with the tannins in the wood, gradually giving it a distinct dark brown to almost black colour. Since there is such a limited supply, prices for this type of wood are very high. It’s very rare and therefore very hard to find. Over the past 8,000 years, less than 1% of the oaks growing on our planet have fallen into the anaerobic environment and become the bog oaks. Today, bog oak is used for small sculptures, jewellery, fountain pen blanks and other small woodworking projects. 

Fraxinus excelsior

Ash is a good interior timber, It excels in fine furniture work, for bespoke kitchens and makes wonderful flooring. It really is a genuine allrounder as a hardwood. It also burns really well and is popular for pyrography. 

People have worked with ash timber for years. It is one of the toughest hardwoods and absorbs shocks without splintering. It is the wood of choice for making tools and sport handles, including hammers, axes, spades, hockey sticks and oars.
In the 19th century ash was commonly used to construct carriages, and Britain’s Morgan Motor Company still grows ash to make the frames for its cars.

Not a species of tree just a reference to ash with darker streaks. We are very lucky that we tend to get lots of this and it is very popular. Once sanded and oiled, the olive streak down the middle forms a stunning dark contrast to the ash on the outer side. 

Spalting is caused by fungus creating the different colouration in the wood. It is normally found in dead trees but can also be found in living trees that have experienced stress. Spalting can cause loss of strength in some pieces and it wouldn't be as heavy, but the colour and patterns it produces are amazing and very popular with our customers!

Spalting is not as common in ash as it is in beech but more common than elm.

Ulmus procera

Elm is strong and durable with a tight-twisted grain, and is resistant to water. 

Elms are highly susceptible to Dutch elm disease which is a fungal disease which  arrived in the UK in the 1960s.
 

The colouring of Elm wood is brown with distinctive varied grain and texture, light and dark shades can have pip and burr.

One of the standout features of Elm timber is its remarkable durability. This wood exhibits a high resistance to moisture, making it an ideal choice for outdoor furniture. 

Spalting is caused by fungus creating the different colouration in the wood. It is normally found in dead trees but can also be found in living trees that have experienced stress. Spalting can cause loss of strength in some pieces and it wouldn't be as heavy, but the colour and patterns it produces are amazing and very popular with our customers!

Spalting is not as common in elm wood as it is in beech.

 Burr Elm can be pure burr or partly burred, the colour tends be darker than just ordinary elm. These are cut from the part of the tree that is almost like a growth. Some pieces will be heavily burred on the live edges as well the main part but each tree is different.  Because the grain in a burr is so  goes in many different directions it resists splitting and is fairly stable and is more dense than elm it self!

Much like the oak , the small knots close together form the pippy part, larger ones are known as burrs.  The pattern is found when a tree has had challenging growing conditions. This is what leaves the pippy markings. Elm trees are very clever, just underneath the bark in the trunk of the tree are thousands of small buds waiting to be formed if something happens to the crown of the tree or part dies. If these are not used, this is where the characteristics come from in the timber, as once milled you see these small pips or burrs which make the gorgeous patterns that are so popular.

  Aesculus hippocastanum  

Horse Chestnut more commonly known as the conker tree.

Mature horse chestnut trees grow to a height of around 40m and can live for up to 300 years. 

The wood is not so strong and it absorbs moisture, so it has poor resistance to decay.

Horse chestnut is specifically prized for turning bowls. 

Taxus baccata

Yew wood has a fascinating history. It has been a cherished resource for centuries, used to craft longbows that changed the course of medieval battles.

The yew is one of the longest-lived native species in Europe. 

Yew has a reputation for being indestructible, but it may be susceptible to root rot. It planes, sands and oils well. It's very stable, thus it doesn’t distort much with moisture content changes.

Fagus

Beech is pale brown/pink colour and occasional spalting. It is durable, heavy and mechanically strong. It has a life span of 350 years in the wild, the beech tree is sometimes called 'the Lady of the Woods'.   As of 2016, the most famous beech trees in the world are the ones lining Dark Hedges from the Game of Thrones film in Ballymoney, Ireland. 

 Spalting is caused by fungus creating the different colouration in the wood. It is normally found in dead trees but can also be found in living trees that have experienced stress. Spalting can cause loss of strength in some pieces and it wouldn't be as heavy, but the colour and patterns it produces are amazing and very popular with our customers!

Spalting is commonly found in beech and we often get these in the barn.

Acer pseudoplatanus

Sycamore trees can grow to 35m and live up to 400 years. Sycamore trees are native to the UK, the timber is hard and strong, pale cream colour and has a fine grain, it's excellent for carving. It is used to make furniture and kitchenware, such as ladles and wooden spoons as the wood does not taint or stain the food. It cuts and planes well with hand or machine tools, it has good bending strength so is good for steaming and it takes stains and finishes well.

Juglans

Walnut trees can exceed 100 feet in height and 6 feet in diameter. They grow best in environments where they get full sun.

Walnut tends to be more expensive than other hardwoods we have, the main reason is that walnut is harder to obtain. Compared to other wood choices such as oak, walnut wood grows much slower, making it shorter in supply than its high demand.

The colour of walnut wood depends on which part of the tree the wood comes from. Wood from the outside of the trunk is the lightest in colour and the wood gets darker as it gets closer to the centre of the trunk. 

Walnut wood is a great for woodturning because of it's natural oiliness, and it sands and oils well. 

 Castanea Sativa 

Chestnut is sometimes known as poor man's oak ,however it still has a fairly dense grain and with the tannin content it has good durability, great for outdoor tables. It is much like oak, in that its strong and durable and from sawn, you'd struggle to tell them apart. It has a coarse texture and is mainly used in the construction field or for furniture.

Cherry is one of the few fruit woods commercially used in the UK for both furniture and joinery. Great exterior wood along with walnut and elm. 

It is a great wood for burning on too!