Fonthill Gifford: 55 cubic metres, 35 miles from the mill
August 4, 2026
Tom Barnes and Rupert Schofield spent a morning in two woodlands near Fonthill Gifford in Wiltshire, measuring logs and working out what each tree would become. They came away having measured 55 cubic metres of mixed ash and oak, from woodland that sits 35 miles from our sawmill.
The short distance is the point. Two lorry loads of logs and a drive of under an hour, rather than a container ship and a set of import papers. This is how we like to buy our timber, by going to look at the trees and supporting local woodlands.
What we found
The ash is destined for Brimstone, our thermally modified British timber, which has been used on projects including the Heartwood sauna, where the ash was chosen for its warmth and stability in a demanding environment.
The oak will be cut for hardwood flooring. After a year of drying, boards milled from these particular trees will end up in the kitchens and hallways of homes within a few hours drive of the woodland where they grew. Most of our wood is bought and sold within 100 miles of our sawmills in Wiltshire.
While driving through the woods Tom also spotted some large and very clean Sitka spruce logs. The stems were larger and better quality than commonly found in commercial plantations. He agreed to take a lorry load to test the viability of Brimstone spruce, a product still in development. Trees of this calibre help us work out whether that product has a future.
Why this woodland
Fonthill sits on the Greensand ridge, where free-draining sandy soil over clay suits broadleaves and conifers alike. The same ridge runs through Longleat and Stourhead, two of the most impressive forests in southern England.
Good soil and good silviculture produce good timber. Slow, even growth and straight stems are the magic ingredients for producing good timber. Having bought some lovely larch and Douglas fir from these woodlands before, we knew that this parcel was likely to be of good quality.
Both the ash and oak will be cut this autumn and will be ready for sale as timber cladding and hardwood flooring next summer.
The point
We hand-select at source because the decisions that matter most are made before a log ever reaches the mill. Species, quality, straightness, and whether a particular tree becomes flooring, cladding or something else entirely.
Tom and Rupert made those calls standing in the woodland at Fonthill Gifford, 35 miles from the sawmill where the trees will be cut.
