Keepers Cottage tree

This tree was built around the newel post of a winding staircase and is made of English oak. It took a team to carve it under my direction. The principal carvers were Iain Cotton and my self. I found an oak tree where the branches were dead but not rotten. Having selected and removed some of these branches I designed the structure so that it would incorporate the timber we had gathered. The branches had to be brought in through a confined entrance and fit into the space without obstructing the stairs.The next step was to strip the selected branches of bark and soft wood down to the heart wood. Then we carved the bark and other features back into the heart wood. Finally the numerous sections were brought on site and fixed to the newel post. The leaves were carved separately by Iain and spliced onto the branches to finish the work.  Click on pictures left for more.