Honouring a Fallen Gloucestershire Walnut Tree
During an autumn gale in 2021, an ancient 160-year-old English Walnut (*Juglans regia*) fell naturally on an historic private estate outside Cirencester, Gloucestershire. Rather than allowing this rare native hardwood to be cut for firewood, the estate owners commissioned us to dry and craft a statement 12-seat dining table and matching salon credenza.
The magnificent 3.2-metre slabs were air-dried for two seasons before slow vacuum kiln conditioning in our workshop. The natural fissures in the heartwood were preserved as architectural features, stabilized with contrasting hand-cut African wenge butterfly keys.
Sculptural Joinery & Natural Form
Butterfly Key Inlays
Eight hand-cut butterfly keys in dense African wenge timber were mortised across the slab's natural heart fissures. Each key is tapered by two degrees so that driving it home mechanically locks the split, preventing further lateral separation indefinitely.
Pegged Trestle Base
The table top rests upon an architectural trestle undercarriage jointed with through-tenons and pegged with kiln-seasoned bog oak wedges. The entire base can be knocked down for transport while maintaining absolute rigidity when reassembled.
Tambour Slatted Credenza
The matching four-door credenza incorporates flexible slatted walnut tambour doors that slide smoothly around curved internal tracks, concealing velvet-lined solid maple silver drawers and glassware compartments.
Furniture Technical Specifications
| Location | Cirencester, Gloucestershire (Country House) |
|---|---|
| Timber Species | Single-Estate Fallen English Walnut (*Juglans regia*) & Wenge Inlays |
| Dimensions | 3,200mm (L) × 1,050mm (W) × 760mm (H) | Seating for 12 Guests |
| Table Undercarriage | Sculptural Solid Walnut Trestle with Wedged Bog Oak Tenons |
| Surface Finish | 4 Hand-Buffed Coats of Natural Matte Osmo Polyx Hardwax Oil |
| Accompanying Pieces | 2.4m Tambour Credenza with Solid Maple Dovetailed Interior Drawers |
| Workshop Lead Time | 6 Weeks Bench Craft following 18-month Timber Conditioning |
"Seeing a tree that stood on our grounds for over a century transformed into this breathtaking heirloom table has been a deeply moving experience. The craftsmanship and attention to the wood's natural figure is simply astonishing."
— Sir Marcus Croft, Private Client
