As the leaves are blown from the trees by the Autumn winds, and the days grow darker and wetter, it is time to retreat to the workshop to make gates. The chestnut is sourced from a local coppice where each year a section of the woodland is cut while the rest of it is busy growing back.
The timber is cleft and shaped whilst still green and soft. The gate is held together with oak pegs, and copper nails and roves. Experimenting with new designs using ancient skills is always a wonderful feeling and feeding the shavings into our storm kettle I can brew myself a hard earned cup of tea.
This gate was made using leftovers from last year. Where the wood has been exposed to the elements it has turned a blue grey colour and this has been stripped away in places to give an interesting contrast.
Proper Edges - Traditional Rural Skills, Products and Training 