Hamish and Low: Annual Cutting of the Black Oak

5,000 years ago, in the Fenland Basin of East Anglia, an ancient high forest of sublime oak trees once stretched across the landscape. Overtime, due to rising sea levels, these trees fell into the slit of the forest floor where they lay preserved for five thousand years.    

As we began to cultivate the land where these sub-fossilised trees were buried, they began coming to the surface causing much inconvenience to the farmers. However, where farmers may saw an inconvenience... Hamish Low saw a unique opportunity. 

Hamish has dedicated 40 years of his life working with this unique and precious material. Black Oak is the nation's rarest and most precious hardwood. Black Oak is Britain's densest native hardwood by far and, at 5,000 years old, it is also the most ancient. Black Oak is an inspirational material to those who work with their hands. Hamish spends the year sourcing this material from the East Anglia area, then goes through the meticulous process of preparing the oak to be used for crafting.  

Our T Level Craft and A level Product Design learners were invited to Hamish’s farm to observe the cutting of this precious oak, take a tour through his workshop and learm about the history of this material. Learners experienced this action packed day all while enjoying delicious homemade cakes with tea and coffee kindly homemade by Nicola Adamson, wife and business partner to Hamish. As well as our learners, there were many craft enthusiasts gathered to hear Hamish speak passionately about this material and watch on excitedly as the grand logs were cut into planks. There was a great feeling of community – different people all gathered due to their passion for black oak and all the wonders that can be crafted from it. 

Reflecting on this trip, T level Craft learner Cloe shared “it was amazing to understand the value of this material once Hamish told us about its history. It was cool to be in the presence of a five-thousand-year-old material that is worth thousands of pounds! It was also valuable to have some inside knowledge on how planks from any other of tree are made which will be useful knowledge to me for both my current course and future employment.” 

Not only was it inspiring for our learners to see a fellow craft enthusiast who was able to share his experience, they also gained knowledge of the material supply chain and saw a glimpse into the process of converting raw materials into stock forms. 

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