Simon Fowler has been working within traditional rural crafts
for over 15 years. Simon lives in the Peak District National Park near
Matlock, Derbyshire, sourcing materials for his products from local
woodlands managed sustainably on a long term basis to conserve wildlife
and to preserve our landscape heritage. Simon runs several different
training courses at Sparklow Wood set in the beautiful Peak District
near to his home.
LOCAL We harvest all our own raw materials
from woodlands within Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Using such local
sources reduces our use of fossil fuels in transport which reduces our
contribution to climate change. Using local sources also means we are putting something back into our own locality through managing woodlands.
SUSTAINABLE Our
products are mostly derived from local woodlands through renewable
harvesting methods. Each woodland is worked under the terms of a
longterm management plan to enhance its scenic and wildlife
conservation value. Basically, we are carrying out work for
conservation organisations such as the Wildlife Trusts and the Peak
Park Authority, whose purpose is to improve the woodlands they own. The raw materials are derived in two main ways: thinning of large standard trees and coppicing. Thinning
means we fell the smaller less vigorous trees to allow more space and
light for the remaining ones to grow on to their full size potential. Coppicing
involves the regular cutting of smaller rods and poles on a repeat
cycle of anything from 7 to 20 years. Each time, new shoots spring up
from the cut stems and are allowed to grow on for the allotted cycle
until ready for coppicing again.
WOODLAND MANAGEMENT All our
raw materials arise from managing woodlands. This management is
necessary for the longterm health of the woodland and its capacity to
support a varied range of plants and animals. All the woods we work in
have longterm management objectives which we undertake on behalf of the
relevent conservation organisation. We also help to ensure the
continued future of these woodlands, not only through good practical
management but by also giving them an economic value, via our business
activities, which future generations will want to preserve.
Patrick
Turk comes from a long line of well-respected Master Tradesmen
including Chair Makers, French Polishers and Cabinet Makers. He can
trace his ancestry back to the early 1800s and beyond. “It’s something I can’t explain, but working with wood is definitely in my blood.”
Many
of the hand tools Patrick uses today are the same ones used by his
great grandfather who was a chair maker in London in the 19th Century.
Established as a Cabinet Maker for
more than 23 years following a 4-year apprenticeship, it’s only
recently that the co-operation scheme with the owners of King’s Wood in
Nottinghamshire has given Patrick the opportunity to produce his own
unique Collection of furniture, aptly named Forest 2 Furniture, which
is entirely made in Sherwood Forest.
Patrick’s
designs are a mixture of traditional and modern. It depends on the
wood he’s working with as to what he decides to make. As he says,
“There are times when I instinctively know things are right and it’s
only when the grain pattern is revealed that the piece I’m making
begins to come to life.”
