The Material Ecology of a North Norfolk Woodland

-

 A fine turnout for part two of a walk-and-talk through the woods.  Again, focussing on the historical development of the sustainably productive ecosystem.  

Very practical as always, carefully avoiding anything too botanical, particularly as we had the pleasure of welcoming several experts in the field.  

And talking of experts, thank you to Janet and Bob, who recently surveyed the woods, and who, to my amazement, recorded 197 plant species!  

You can tell I'm a little overwhelmed by all this collective knowledge, as I attempt to hide behind a thirty metre Douglas fir!





Popular posts from this blog

Port Orford Cedar

-
Image
  Native to Oregon and much prized in Japan as a construction timber; why it was planted here in this small corner of North Norfolk, I have no idea! But of all the conifers that we regularly thin and replace with broadleaf, the Orfords are left well alone until needed.  It's such a lovely timber to work: It's straight grained, cleaves cleanly, steam-bends (as well as ash) and is highly rot resistant.   No, it's not as visually interesting as maybe board-sawn oak and perhaps not as tough as seasoned beech, but it has an unassuming and delicate grain and has a delightful ginger-like scent.  Used recently on the splint baskets (see previous post), I treated the top faces of the bands and handle with my interpretation of a Japanese tannin dye, it's a deep reddish brown and it's as natural a stain as you could ever wish for, and what's more... it's a preservative too! As a side note;  how ever much I've enjoyed working with Orf...
Read more

Stave Baskets

-
Image
  If I had to choose just one artefact to illustrate the diversity of practical approaches to woodland materials, then the stave basket would have to be it ! It's a very traditional construction, most notably associated with makers in Devon.  Alas, it is now an endangered species, although happily, a couple of very accomplished makers are still active in stalling its demise - it's certainly worth searching them out. These two I made from materials sourced in the wood.  Perhaps not ultra-traditional, but a pragmatic selection of what I have available.  The bases are made of ash, the staves of Douglas fir and the steam-bent bands and handles are made from Orford cedar (an unusual but beautiful timber to work with). In future posts I'll be taking a closer look at their construction, particularly their material ecology and the associated techniques that go into their making. 
Read more

Welcome to Tim Willey's New Site

-
Image
Over the coming days and weeks I'll be building solely on this new site.  Its focus will be mainly on material ecology but will also include  day-to-day escapades in 'Tales from the Woods'.  I   hope it will prove a useful and entertaining resource. Please drop by again soon. 
Read more