Forester and Woodworker

Working as both a woodworker and a forester at Westonbirt, England’s National Arboretum, gives Jack a unique insight into his craft. Since completing a woodland management apprenticeship in 2014 – where Jack also learnt about traditional green woodwork – he has been developing his own practice, experimenting with traditional skills to make modern and unusual garden structures and furniture.

Jack’s cleft oak planters were designed exclusively for Them Outdoors, in collaboration with founder Tabi Jackson Gee. They featured as part of an installation in Berdoulat in spring 2024 and their character and unusual outline has already made them a firm favourite amongst clients.

Jack works primarily with curvy and riven oak, handcrafted and jointed together – hence his studio name Riven Oak Design. His workshop is a permanent tarpaulin in a woodland setting with no power. He carries out a lot of his initial processing in the woodland he manages.