Old pollarded hedgerow ash
Hedgerow hazel
ASH
Ash will grow over 100ft in favourable conditions with a diameter of 3ft or more, although, grown to a diameter up to 2ft will produce the best timber for general use. Tall, clean ash is rarely seen as it is prone to fork from injury, frost etc during the early years of establishment. A clean thirty foot bole would be considered good.
The white to light brown sapwood and heartwood are not clearly defined, but sometimes, when grown on badly drained soils, the heartwood is coloured dark brown, which is sought after in the furniture trade.
The seasoned timber weighs 44lbs per cu. ft.; nearly as much as seasoned oak. The weight in the green state is approx 52lbs at 46 per cent. moisture content (Oak is 65lbs at 85 per cent. moisture content).
This useful wood, because of its lightness when dry, strength, toughness and bending properties, was used in the motor and aircraft industries for the manufacture of framework, under-framing etc. Was also used for many agricultural implements, cart shafts and wheel felloes. Items which required high bending properties was always made from native grown stock. Tool handles are still made from straight grained ash but has competition from American hickory. In some cases fine grained ash is used for veneer, a popular choice with the kitchen furniture makers.
Hornbeam is the only timber tougher than ash in the unseasoned state (cherry slightly less), but after seasoning, ash reigns supreme, the cricket bat willow running a close second. Years ago, ash was pollarded approx six feet above ground level, and the poles cut every ten to twenty years depending on requirement. Pollarding, for some reason, is a woodland practice we don't follow today.
Hazel
One of our better known species, the hazel grows in most hedgerows and woodlands. More a shrub than a tree but will make a fine looking small tree if trained from seed. Most peaple know the hazel because of the nuts (cob nuts) gathered during autumn, although squirells will usually take them before they are ripened. Years ago, hazel nuts were grown in the south eastern counties for local and London markets and the kentish cob was especially well known for the christmas market.
One of the most useful woods for the gardener, a billhook or hand saw being the only tools required to crop this marvelous timber. On account of it's usefulness, larger gardens always found room to grow the hazel which was especially handy for the various sized sticks required for flowers and veg. The country boy knew the hazel well, many a catapult would be cut throughout the year. If you needed a stick whilst on your rambles, hazel would be your choice.
Years ago, hazel was grown specially in coppices, cut and grown every few years depending upon the size required. Was extensively used for sheep hurdles, thatching rods, building lathes (for plastering), walking sticks and dozens of other uses around the farm and garden.
Hazel, when exposed to full weather conditions will last only a few years, but longer life may be obtained if larger sizes are used, this shouldn't be a concern, as plentiful growth is always abundant in most areas.
Many older woodlands can be seen to have grown hazel coppice, although, the timber seen today is too overgrown for any use but may easily be trimmed down to produce young growth which will give handy lengths within five years.
Beech
One of our finest trees growing to a height of 100ft or more with a diameter up to 4ft plus. Some fine examples can be seen in Buckinghamshire, Sussex, Kent and parts of Gloucestershire. A straight grained, smooth textured wood with noticeable darker coloured flecking (broad rays) more visible on the longitudinal surfaces. A white to light brown timber, darkening a red-brown.
Beech can weigh nearly as much as oak in it's green state, approx 60lb per cu. ft at 80 per cent moisture content and 45lb per cu. ft seasoned.
This timber has excellent bending properties and one of our strongest home grown timbers. Unseasoned it has the strength of oak and seasoned, up to twenty per cent superior in bending, hardness, stiffness, shear strength and more resistant to splitting. It is also 35 per cent more resistant to impact loads.
Beech is prone to fungal attack and very prone to furniture beetles but consistently permeable to treatments.
When grown in some localities the timber can be considerably close-grained and tough, making it difficult to saw and drill, but this is not a black mark on it's character.
In previous years and to an extent now, beech was used for domestic items, handles, brush backs, general turnery and much more. Beech is famous for it's excellent quality for furniture making, also, in years gone by, the beech woods of Buckinghamshire was renowned for the chair bodgers living and working in the woods, making the components for spindle back and similar chairs.
Owing to the often large diameter trees yielding wide planks, beech is still used in the cabinet making workshops. Also, because this timber steams well, it is used for shaped items such as sieve rims and textile industry items. Butchers blocks are still made from well seasoned beech.
Cherry (Prunus avium)
Well grown trees grow up to 65 ft and a diameter up to 2 feet. Cherry compares very favourably in strength in comparison to Oak. After seasoning, Cherry can be up to 40 - 50 per cent. tougher than Oak but 30 per cent. less tough as seasoned Ash. Air dried Cherry is equal to oak in crushing strength along the grain and general hardness also, it is 20-30 per cent. more resistant to general splitting in comparison with Oak.
This wood is straight grained, has an even, fine texture and naturally reddish-brown in colour which darkens with exposure and polishes to resemble Mahogany. Needs to be dried slowly, air or kiln, as it has a tendency to warp. Weighs approx 12 per cent. lighter than Oak when dried.
Cherry saws and turns well, takes to glue readily and waxes very well, turning the colour to a rich mahogany hue. Was used years ago for small-arms butts and sort after today for high quality furniture and cabinet work.
If you have a chance, try to grow this wonderful tree along the drive, in hedges or individually in paddocks with protection from grazing stock.
Chestnut
Ash will grow over 100ft in favourable conditions with a diameter of 3ft or more, although, grown to a diameter up to 2ft will produce the best timber for general use. Tall, clean ash is rarely seen as it is prone to fork from injury, frost etc during the early years of establishment. A clean thirty foot bole would be considered good.
The white to light brown sapwood and heartwood are not clearly defined, but sometimes, when grown on badly drained soils, the heartwood is coloured dark brown, which is sought after in the furniture trade.
The seasoned timber weighs 44lbs per cu. ft.; nearly as much as seasoned oak. The weight in the green state is approx 52lbs at 46 per cent. moisture content (Oak is 65lbs at 85 per cent. moisture content).
This useful wood, because of its lightness when dry, strength, toughness and bending properties, was used in the motor and aircraft industries for the manufacture of framework, under-framing etc. Was also used for many agricultural implements, cart shafts and wheel felloes. Items which required high bending properties was always made from native grown stock. Tool handles are still made from straight grained ash but has competition from American hickory. In some cases fine grained ash is used for veneer, a popular choice with the kitchen furniture makers.
Hornbeam is the only timber tougher than ash in the unseasoned state (cherry slightly less), but after seasoning, ash reigns supreme, the cricket bat willow running a close second. Years ago, ash was pollarded approx six feet above ground level, and the poles cut every ten to twenty years depending on requirement. Pollarding, for some reason, is a woodland practice we don't follow today.
Hazel
One of our better known species, the hazel grows in most hedgerows and woodlands. More a shrub than a tree but will make a fine looking small tree if trained from seed. Most peaple know the hazel because of the nuts (cob nuts) gathered during autumn, although squirells will usually take them before they are ripened. Years ago, hazel nuts were grown in the south eastern counties for local and London markets and the kentish cob was especially well known for the christmas market.
One of the most useful woods for the gardener, a billhook or hand saw being the only tools required to crop this marvelous timber. On account of it's usefulness, larger gardens always found room to grow the hazel which was especially handy for the various sized sticks required for flowers and veg. The country boy knew the hazel well, many a catapult would be cut throughout the year. If you needed a stick whilst on your rambles, hazel would be your choice.
Years ago, hazel was grown specially in coppices, cut and grown every few years depending upon the size required. Was extensively used for sheep hurdles, thatching rods, building lathes (for plastering), walking sticks and dozens of other uses around the farm and garden.
Hazel, when exposed to full weather conditions will last only a few years, but longer life may be obtained if larger sizes are used, this shouldn't be a concern, as plentiful growth is always abundant in most areas.
Many older woodlands can be seen to have grown hazel coppice, although, the timber seen today is too overgrown for any use but may easily be trimmed down to produce young growth which will give handy lengths within five years.
Beech
One of our finest trees growing to a height of 100ft or more with a diameter up to 4ft plus. Some fine examples can be seen in Buckinghamshire, Sussex, Kent and parts of Gloucestershire. A straight grained, smooth textured wood with noticeable darker coloured flecking (broad rays) more visible on the longitudinal surfaces. A white to light brown timber, darkening a red-brown.
Beech can weigh nearly as much as oak in it's green state, approx 60lb per cu. ft at 80 per cent moisture content and 45lb per cu. ft seasoned.
This timber has excellent bending properties and one of our strongest home grown timbers. Unseasoned it has the strength of oak and seasoned, up to twenty per cent superior in bending, hardness, stiffness, shear strength and more resistant to splitting. It is also 35 per cent more resistant to impact loads.
Beech is prone to fungal attack and very prone to furniture beetles but consistently permeable to treatments.
When grown in some localities the timber can be considerably close-grained and tough, making it difficult to saw and drill, but this is not a black mark on it's character.
In previous years and to an extent now, beech was used for domestic items, handles, brush backs, general turnery and much more. Beech is famous for it's excellent quality for furniture making, also, in years gone by, the beech woods of Buckinghamshire was renowned for the chair bodgers living and working in the woods, making the components for spindle back and similar chairs.
Owing to the often large diameter trees yielding wide planks, beech is still used in the cabinet making workshops. Also, because this timber steams well, it is used for shaped items such as sieve rims and textile industry items. Butchers blocks are still made from well seasoned beech.
Cherry (Prunus avium)
Well grown trees grow up to 65 ft and a diameter up to 2 feet. Cherry compares very favourably in strength in comparison to Oak. After seasoning, Cherry can be up to 40 - 50 per cent. tougher than Oak but 30 per cent. less tough as seasoned Ash. Air dried Cherry is equal to oak in crushing strength along the grain and general hardness also, it is 20-30 per cent. more resistant to general splitting in comparison with Oak.
This wood is straight grained, has an even, fine texture and naturally reddish-brown in colour which darkens with exposure and polishes to resemble Mahogany. Needs to be dried slowly, air or kiln, as it has a tendency to warp. Weighs approx 12 per cent. lighter than Oak when dried.
Cherry saws and turns well, takes to glue readily and waxes very well, turning the colour to a rich mahogany hue. Was used years ago for small-arms butts and sort after today for high quality furniture and cabinet work.
If you have a chance, try to grow this wonderful tree along the drive, in hedges or individually in paddocks with protection from grazing stock.
Chestnut
A rare sight - A stand of 100ft tall mature alder trees
A fine mature alder standing in winter flood water
Alder
Native to Britain and rarely grows over 80ft with a diameter of usually 2ft or so when grown well. Cuts with a dull lustreless surface and often distinguished by the presence of broad rays, which appear as dark lines on the longitudinal surfaces. An interesting timber to fell as it is pale when first cut, darkening to a reddish-brown. The ends of freshly felled timber turns orange to brown when exposed to the air. A light wood when seasoned, 33lbs cu. ft.
The lightness and ease of working makes it a useful wood for making artificial limbs, brush backs, general turnery, toys, and often used for plywood and of course, years ago, was used for clogs. An interesting point worth noting is that this tree grows by rivers (for the dispersal of it's seed), and fresh cut or seasoned poles make good river bank retainers, which doesn't rot too quickly when immersed in water.
Alder is supposed to be immune to the powder post beetle.
Native to Britain and rarely grows over 80ft with a diameter of usually 2ft or so when grown well. Cuts with a dull lustreless surface and often distinguished by the presence of broad rays, which appear as dark lines on the longitudinal surfaces. An interesting timber to fell as it is pale when first cut, darkening to a reddish-brown. The ends of freshly felled timber turns orange to brown when exposed to the air. A light wood when seasoned, 33lbs cu. ft.
The lightness and ease of working makes it a useful wood for making artificial limbs, brush backs, general turnery, toys, and often used for plywood and of course, years ago, was used for clogs. An interesting point worth noting is that this tree grows by rivers (for the dispersal of it's seed), and fresh cut or seasoned poles make good river bank retainers, which doesn't rot too quickly when immersed in water.
Alder is supposed to be immune to the powder post beetle.
Richard Schaub and Son
Established over 30 years
copyright R.G and D.G Schaub
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Wonderful trees
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Richard Schaub and Son
Fencing and Gates
Cheltenham
Fencing and Gates
Cheltenham
Timber information
Hardwoods-homegrown
Hardwood timber is making a comeback for the production of fine flooring, kitchens & other quality products. Ash, Elm & Oak were used extensively around the farm for sheep & cattle mangers, waggon building, gates, fencing & a multitude of other purposes. Alder timber was highly prized for clog making, especially in the North of England, the West Midlands & South Wales. Willow, traditionally used for cricket bats, strawberry & mushroom chips, baskets and of course the garden and sheep hurdle, is making a comeback, especially for garden products.
Hazel, a remarkably useful wood, has always been used around the farm and garden for sheep hurdles and fencing. For centuries, hazel has been used by the thatcher to make the round or split lengths called liggers, sways and spars, for fixing and pegging the roof thatch. Gardeners always used hazel for sticking peas and beans, not practiced much today, thanks to cheap bamboo and plastic netting. Hazel & Ash will always make the finest walking sticks, a craft that is coming back into fasion. The Silver Birch was used for making besom brooms, with handles of ash. Beech was the favourite with the chair bodgers & used still for making furniture.
Below is a short list of hardwood timber varieties which may be of interest, specifying their properties and usefulness.
Hazel, a remarkably useful wood, has always been used around the farm and garden for sheep hurdles and fencing. For centuries, hazel has been used by the thatcher to make the round or split lengths called liggers, sways and spars, for fixing and pegging the roof thatch. Gardeners always used hazel for sticking peas and beans, not practiced much today, thanks to cheap bamboo and plastic netting. Hazel & Ash will always make the finest walking sticks, a craft that is coming back into fasion. The Silver Birch was used for making besom brooms, with handles of ash. Beech was the favourite with the chair bodgers & used still for making furniture.
Below is a short list of hardwood timber varieties which may be of interest, specifying their properties and usefulness.
