The Creative Chestnut Company

We design, make and supply bespoke garden gates in durable Sweet Chestnut in addition to running Green Woodworking Courses in a beautiful, dedicated, woodland setting in West Dorset.

Green Woodworking Courses

Fancy a day of green woodworking in a peaceful woodland setting in West Dorset?

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Welcome to the Creative Chestnut Company

Based near Bridport, West Dorset, The Creative Chestnut Company has made and supplied chestnut products, since 2012, for many private and public clients including Hardy’s Cottage and Rufford Old Hall (National Trust) the Forestry Commission; River Cottage HQ, Devon and The Sandringham Estate, Norfolk.

Here, at The Creative Chestnut Company, you will find an inspirational gallery of Sweet Chestnut gates suitable for your garden. All the gates are made to order and can be either collected from our base in West Dorset or delivered to your door by pallet.

You will also discover our green woodworking courses based in West Dorset. These cover the making of a diverse range of useful items using traditional green woodworking techniques, hand tools and different skill sets.

Gate Designs and Courses

From rustic, simple nailed garden gates to slightly more formal mortise and tenon jointed gates, each one is made to order. Using traditional green woodworking skills and techniques, each gate is hand-crafted in durable, cleft Sweet Chestnut. You will have something that will be bespoke and truly unique.

Our courses are held in a peaceful woodland setting under two tarpaulin covered structures with everything you’ll for a day of woody creation.

The-Brooklyn-mortise-tenon-chestnut-paling-gate-scaled

Loggia-outdoor garden room and pizza oven

Sustainable…

By purchasing a Sweet Chestnut product from The Creative Chestnut Company, you are helping to maintain the centuries old traditional woodland management system of coppicing. This eco-friendly, highly sustainable practice helps increase bio-diversity of flora and fauna, with huge benefits to wildlife.

Oh yes… The Romans

Well, where would we be if we hadn’t had the Roman Invasion all those millennia ago? The Sweet Chestnut tree, Castanea Sativa, was introduced to the British Isles by the Romans; as they were very partial to the nutty seed pods that the Sweet Chestnut produces. Apparently Roman soldiers were given chestnut porridge before going into battle!

Thanks guys, for introducing us to one of the most durable hardwoods that coppices so well and allows us to now work with this amazing timber!

Testimonials

Thank you for all your hard work, Tim, we love the fences and arches. I didn’t get home until late on Friday, so it was a real treat to get up and look at it all on Saturday. It all looks lovely and I’m so pleased with it all. Thanks, Tim. You’ve done a great job (despite the weather trying to drown you!) I’ve told lots of people about The Creative Chestnut Company as well.

Gail P

Croscombe, Somerset

Tim laid some excellent Sweet Chestnut edging to finish off some woodland paths in our garden. The edging gives clear definition to the paths and really fits into this setting. We much prefer the varied shapes of the chestnut to machined wood. He did a very good job dealing with the differing ground levels and curves of the paths. The result looks great.

David W.

Nr Sherborne, Dorset

Thank you to The Creative Chestnut Company for our beautiful new cleft chestnut fence at Leigh Woods. We are really happy with it.

Nikki Morgans

Recreation & Community Ranger, Forestry Commission, Leigh Woods, Bristol

We are delighted with the chestnut picket fence that Tim built for us at the front of our house. The natural organic look is exactly what we wanted and reflects Tim’s pride in his work. It has been much admired by our friends and neighbours

Nigel and Sonia

near Frome, Somerset

Tim from The Creative Chestnut Company constructed a loggia-outdoor garden room along with a wood fired, earth oven. Although the initial concept was complex and entirely in my mind, Tim completed a clear and simple design that exactly suited my expectations. The construction was delivered in a tidy, timely and very professional manner. In short, it looks fantastic!

Christian A

Fenny Castle, Near Glastonbury, Somerset

“Tim of the Creative Chestnut Company supplied and erected a hand crafted chestnut pergola for our Kitchen Garden at River Cottage HQ. As a focal point for all of our weddings and events it needed to be something special, and that’s exactly what we got. Carefully crafted and well thought out, the structure adds a great deal to our traditional veg garden. Tim was accommodating and efficient completing the build within two days. I would highly recommend his product to anyone.”