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Air & Kiln-Dried Timber

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For more details about our Oak products or to arrange a visit, please call 01497 831656

ENGLISH OAK

Quercus Robur (common oak)
Quercus Petraea (sessile oak )

English oak has been held in high esteem by craftsmen and builders for many centuries. Whether it was used to build our navies or buildings, as well as fine furniture, it has been cherished for its strength, resistance to decay and beauty.

Although at Whitney Sawmills we supply oak from Europe as well, it is the beautiful grain and figure of our English oak that stands out from its European cousins.

Technical detail from TRADA

  • Wood type – hardwood

  • Mechanical strength – high

  • Durability – durable

  • Treatability- extremely difficult

  • Density- 720kg/m3 at 12%

  • Colour and grain – heartwood is golden yellowy brown

 

EUROPEAN OAK

European oak comes from the same family as English oak, but the heartwood is more of a pale straw colour with a slight silvery tint. The grain is straight and mild, making it very stable. Although very similar to English oak it is not as decorative as our native timber.

AIR & Kiln Dried Timber Products

Supporting UK Woodlands

After a decade of collaboration with Woodland Heritage in delivering their ‘Woodland to Workshop’ courses, Whitney Sawmills was acquired by the Charity in 2016. Being at the centre of the timber supply chain, Woodland Heritage believes that sawmills are a crucial part of the British timber industry and, with the right approach, a healthy future exists for those that remain; something that it wanted to demonstrate by taking over Whitney Sawmills.

It is estimated that currently only 6% of hardwoods used in the UK are sourced from Britain, the large majority being imported from Europe. At the same time only 40% of our mixed broadleaf woodlands are currently managed and it is this lack of woodland management that is creating the greatest threats to many endangered species. Buying British grown timber sustains native woodlands by directly supporting the management and upkeep of woodland, helping to keep rural employment and skills alive.