Matt Whittaker, Yeoman of the Turners’ Company
I have been working with wood and steel for over twenty years now. What first attracted me to these materials and the crafts of the Greenwood and Forge was their immediacy, the need for a very few tools in order to be able to create practical, everyday objects. Alongside this work I also operate a mobile sawmill that is used to cut both Farm and woodland trees into useful planks and beams. This feeds into another aspect of my work, building timber frames, from sheds to Barns!
I work on a foot powered lathe, the design of which hasn’t changed since at least the Roman times. The raw material for the bowls and plates I make comes from onsite here at Abundant Earth, trees are coppiced on a rotation and the wood processed for making. Have a peep at the shop to see the things I make.
Teaching has always been a mainstay of what I do with wood. I delight in giving people the chance to rediscover the ability to make with their own two hands. Get in touch with me if you’d like to learn.