My walk to work.

After several beautiful morning walks to the workshop I thought that I'd (rather smugly) share some images of my journey each morning.

Thistle the dog patiently waiting (as if) to start out journey.

The view of Haytor from the top of our lane.

 Walking along the trail know as Church Path through a small but lovely mature Beech woods.

 This is the entrance to the old iron mine.

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 Perfect winter camouflage

 Haytor now in the distance

My welcoming and incredibly untidy workshop.

I love my walk to work, even when it's not such nice weather. It takes me about 45 minute at a nice leisurely pace, and sometimes double that depending on what we see on the way. It gives me just the right amount of mental distance to switch from 'home' head to 'work' head, and switch back again.

So that's my daily commute. I feel very lucky.

Welsh Backstools, Our Three Legged Chairs.

So, it's been a while since our last post and a lot has been happening. The summer has been busy, busy, busy for us all in Casa Del Whitethorn. We've had a few double and kingsize bed orders, green oak timber frame buildings, and a couple of shows where we were exhibiting and demonstrating. The weather didn't really help too much for this last activity. The normally great Weston Arboretum Treefest was a bit of a wash out this year sadly. Those visitor that did brave the weather were all very interested and friendly. Although I have to so most of the interest on our stand was focused towards Thistle, our new puppy, who wooed everyone by falling asleep beneath the shaving horse or by chewing the oak pegs I had carefully crafted only seconds earlier. It was good to catch up with Jon Mac and Sean Hellman, two very good and lovely craftsmen.

We have also had a bit of a run on some of our Welsh Backstools. I love these chairs, they have a simplistic beauty to them. I started making these several years ago after seeing a couple of examples in a book on traditional furniture and have had a love affair with them ever since.

Traditionally the backstool was a simple step up from the common stool. Either a 3 legged or 4 legged stool with a simple back rest added. With the 3 legged version, the back rest was sometimes an extension of the rear leg. These would either be a vertical board back rest or a spindle and combe like the example above. Sometimes the back rests would curve round to form arm rests.

I love the 3 legged variety. At shows and exhibitions it often takes people a while to twig that there are only 3 legs. The obvious benefit for the 3 legged backstool is it's stability on uneven surfaces. No wobbling for these beauties. They are also perfect for curing people of the habit of leaning back on chairs, potentially for good.

People often ask why only 1 leg at the rear. I have never seen an old museum or antique example any different. The back is always the single leg. I'd love to know if anyone has seen differently. In making a variety of different styles I've come to the conclusion that by having the pair of legs at the front, you increase the stability of the chair when getting on and off.

So is it a stool or a chair? 
Dictionary definition of a stool is 'a seat without a back or arms, typically resting on three or four legs or on a single pedestal.'
And a chair:  'a separate seat for one person, typically with a back and four legs.'

So perhaps the Backstool  does inhabit that grey area between the two. Historically speaking the term chair only seems to be applied to seating with backs and arms, until the late 18th century when backstools become classified as 'single' or 'side' chairs.

And why Welsh? 
All of the historical examples I have been lucky enough to see have all thought to have originated in Wales. Without doubt this design would have been used through the UK.

The backstools you can see in the pictures (4 in total) were in fact all destined for a lovely couple from the Brecon Beacons, to go in there 300 year old Welsh cottage with a very uneven Welsh slate floor.

But maybe the next batch should be re-labeled Dartmoor Backstools. 

Wild at Heart

Devon Life Article

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"Not all those who wander are lost" Tolkein

I had all the intentions of getting up early this morning and tackling the vast amount of curved Oak laid out in the workshop, but as I climbed out of bed my creaking, sore and seized up limbs dispelled any work ethic I had. "Age!" I hear you cry. Well hopefully not.  I've just spent a lovely couple of days out walking on the moors on my lonesome.
Every now and then the desperate urge to escape to wild places grabs me. I use it as a way to mentally re-boot my system. Turn myself off and on again. What I love is the simplicity. It's just me, my kit (could have been a bit lighter) and the elements. All I have to concern myself with is which direction to travel.
Travelling on my own gives me the chance to think about the things I need to think about. I'm definitely one for putting distractions in my way, whether its watching something, getting a book fix, or researching to the Nth degree whatever new fad I've discovered. Walking by myself strips away those shields and forces me to face the issues and work my way through them.
Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a deep walking meditation. I was far from the Kwai Chang Caine archetype. Half the time my thoughts were on such issues as "Why won't my lungs take in more oxygen?" or "Why are my buttocks chaffing?" or "It doesn't say there's a bloody wall here on the map!" But these time are just as good (maybe not the buttocks) as they are the times when I'm just here in the moment, the times when I'm just travelling. Just me doing what animals have always done, moving through the landscape, finding water, looking for a good place to sleep. Although I'm on my own, doing this kind of trip makes me feel like I part of something bigger than myself. On my own but not alone.
I slept to the sound of owls and the River Bovey, awoke with the sun and the dawn chorus, breakfasted with jackdaws and a couple of Roe Deer, then wandered to wherever the mood took me.
I had planned to stay out a second night but was enjoying the feeling of walking so much that I covered the distance in half the time I had intended whilst still fitting in the sights. Hence this mornings lack of movement.

However, it'll be a fresh start tomorrow. First job is to clean up all the Oak curves. These are going to become a new bed once the client chooses which curves she'd like. I'll post pictures as we go.

gx

Here goes...

A hundred thousand welcomes to our blog space. We are oh so very new to the whole 'blog' thing so please bare with us whilst we blunder along getting the hang of it.

In this space we will share our newest creations and talk you through the process of their coming into being. We will also keep you up to date with exhibitions, shows and fairs that we are taking part in.

It is fair to say that it is quite likely that we will ramble on a fair bit about the things we get up to here on the beautiful wilds of Dartmoor and  indeed, anything else that tickles our fancy.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. We hope you enjoy...

Kelley and Glenn