400 Years In The Making
Wooden rings made from Burr Elm
About ten years ago I came across a fallen Elm tree hidden amongst the overgrown Hawthorn on the hillside just across the way from our cottage over looking the river Tay.
As I cleared away its thorny veil I was greeted by the most spectacular ancient tree and I knew something very special lay beneath its gnarly and twisted exterior.
I removed the trunk in sections to be dried and seasoned and only recently have I returned to assess this ancient tree’s full potential.
Once a familiar and majestic sight across the British countryside, Elm was sadly attacked and almost entirely wiped out by Dutch Elm Disease, only a few survive in remote parts of Scotland
Also Elm was widely used in construction, particularly prized for its resistance to decay and water and after nearly 400 years since the first shoots of my ancient Elm appeared it seems fitting to use its timber in the most expressive way possible namely a wooden ring.
