Contemporary Use

Over recent years there has been a revival of such woodland crafts and several small businesses have been established alongside like-minded furniture–makers. Although struggling with initial set-up and investments, they take advantage of low or no material costs. Some take an integrated production and manufacturing approach, such as Tino Rawnsley who founded Rawnsley Woodland Products near Wadebridge. He offers woodland management to landowners and councils and uses the ‘waste’ as well as harvested material from his own woodland to produce a variety of high quality furniture. He ensures that all material for his products is produced locally and sustainably. Recently he designed and built an innovative solar wood drying kiln that offers a more sustainable and energy efficient way of seasoning timber.
Falmouth based Rory MacPhee produces a variety of objects and furniture and offers introductory workshops to the techniques. Another Cornish enterprise, Yurtworks, produces yurt structures that have become popular for alternative housing even in our climate. Yurts are also used by the Eden Project.
Other innovative uses for hazel include motorway noise screens.