Last week saw the official unveiling of 15 new Oak benches at Abbotsford House, part of a £300,000 project to restore Scott’s woodlands and open them up to a wider public. Several Oak trees were felled as part of this renovation and Real Wood Studios was commissioned to transform them into 15 beautiful benches. Ross Ketteridge led a team to complete the project and designed the benches. It was heavy work as green Oak is much heavier than when it’s seasoned and one of the benches was 3 metres long!
The benches are placed along a series of new paths making it much easier to explore and enjoy these historic woodlands.
In keeping with Scott’s tradition and to ensure the future of the woodland many new trees were planted.
It was a special privilege to work with this timber knowing that it was planted by Sir Walter Scott and knowing the finished work was going back to the very woodland it once grew in. There’s still some of the oak left over and plans are afoot on how best to use it – watch this space.
