Michael Bennett

 

I've been working with wood since 2005 after completing a degree in Furniture Design and Craft at Buckinghamshire University. Since then I have worked for some of the country's foremost Oak frame carpentry companies specialising in green Oak frame construction and historic timber repairs. 

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I have always been interested in using locally sourced wood from sustainable forests so in 2016 I began working with hazel to learn the ancient skills of weaving hazel hurdles (traditional fencing panels) and continuous woven fencing. 

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Coppicing is a system of management which dates back to at least the Bronze Age in Britain. Deciduous trees are cut down to the ground and allowed to regrow into many useful rods and poles. This creates a succession of different habitats within the woodland allowing more species of flora and fauna to thrive. Hazel coppice is integral to the landscape of Hampshire and as long as we keep using this resource it will be preserved along with the wildlife it supports.

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