A new life for the Potterells Chestnut
When a tree has to be removed for safety, or has fallen where it cannot
be left to return to the soil and support biodiversity, people often call me.
I aim to use the timber to produce beautiful forms, treasured for years to
come. The timber is imbued with the special meaning and connection to
place that comes from knowing the story of the tree. By mindful attention to detail through each step of this long journey, the work becomes a celebration of the trees life, continued in a new form.
This large sculptural form shows a full range of voids, inclusions, burl
and decay that speak of a long and challenging life. My part in the story
began when I got a call from a close friend, to assist in the milling and
seasoning of this remarkable golden timber, that I have turned and
finished. However, the story began long before.
The magnificent horse chestnut had stood in the Potterells in rural
Hertfordshire for hundreds of years, part of the grounds of a medieval
manor that has long since vanished. During a typical English autumn,
when the weather was breezy but not stormy, the top part of the tree
collapsed with a huge crash, leaving a devastated ruin. The chestnut
had, very unusually, snapped at about 12 feet up. The neighbours rallied
round to help clear the brush. Huge amounts of firewood were barrowed
to the log pile, and an enormous log was left. Well over 40” across, and it
was decided that the timber from this significant tree deserved to live on.
Preparing the timber
There was little indication before the chestnut fell that there was any rot
in the main stem. It looked like a huge healthy tree. The stump now
supports massive numbers of insects, fungi and animal life as it slowly
decays and rots away.
We now know from milling the timber slice by slice that there was
substantial internal rot and deadwood that could not support the weight
of the crown.
The trunk was so large that it had to be trimmed before milling. The bark
inclusions, voids, punky areas and swirling grain were gradually
revealed as milling progressed. We looked for the beautiful patterns
made by nature, with an eye to featuring them in the final work, years
hence. After this rough shaping, the timbers were air dried ‘on stick’, or
rough turned, allowing the tensions in the timber to be gradually
released as the moisture content equalised with its surroundings. From
there it was transferred to the studio, where final turning, carving and
finishing took place, some 5 years after the events that brought the
timber to me. I hope that I have done it justice.
