Our Woodlands

Our Woodlands

The woodlands are in the Haddeo valley on Exmoor, one of the most beautiful regions in the south-west of England. They have been in our family for at least eight generations. There is a strong tradition of sustainable management, and there are oak and other native hardwood trees that were established by the present owner’s great great grandfather, who planted on an extensive scale.

The sale of oak products, including flooring, makes an important contribution to the viability of our woods which are managed under the Forestry Commission UK guidelines and in close consultation with the Exmoor National Park.

Our Process

We take care in the process of making the best oak flooring.

We control all stages of production, from planting to felling, sawing, grading and replanting. After sawing, boards are aid-dried naturally for at least one year per inch of thickness. Arguably we take more care in the grading of our timber than any other company. The process is carried out twice: both in the sawing stage and, after kilning, in the machining stage. Our aim is total transparency, so that the client knows as precisely as possible, what they are getting.

We machine to order to ensure that the moisture content of the wood is carefully managed so that nothing is left hanging around the workshop unduly: wood is taken straight from the kilns, to the machines to site.

Solid English oak boards may be machined tongue and grooved or square edged, so that they may be fitted using modern or traditional fixing techniques. We provide bespoke parquet design and have now built up a large portfolio. We provide a drawing service working with architects and designers to calculate best fit. We have two teams of fitters and three teams of finishing experts. On site finishes vary from a simple and serviceable finish which shows the natural colour of the wood, to sophisticated French polishes carried out by hand.