The Origin of The Gardener’s Bothy

A bothy is defined as a ‘one-roomed structure or accommodation’ and our 18^thcentury example would have housed the estate gardener or served as his potting shed or tool store. Restored from dereliction in 2009, the Bothy once again is associated with rural craftsmanship and the remains of the original structure with its unique pyramid roof now serves as part of our workshop.

From the Forest

Our ethos is formed by our main work as foresters; sustainably managing, maintaining and harvesting over 2,000 acres of woodland in and around the National Forest. Quite simply, we aim to make use of every part of the tree to create a range of quality products for the home and garden.

Timber felled by our forestry team is brought back to our sawmill on the Catton Estate, where it is processed into planks and boards and is available to purchase green or air-dried in this form. Oak, western red cedar and leylandii are timbers that we also mill for our own range of furniture made for us locally by Tallboys Woodworking. Lower grades of timber and sawmill offcuts are fully utlised as firewood or woodchip.

Coppiced hazel, bark, roots and twigs are also collected and brought back to the Bothy for use in making seasonal decorations alongside the wide range of woven willow products produced by Jam Mian in our Willow Workshop. The Workshop also offers a year-round programme of courses to pass on these traditional skills.