From Forest Management to Glulam Manufacturing: A Learning Journey
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Ten years ago, Richard Paton from the Southwest Forestry Commission team first brought his colleagues to visit Buckland Timber. Last month, with a completely different team in tow, he returned – and the impact was just as powerful as the first time.
We spoke to Richard about their visit to find out what prompted their return and what they learned.
Why Visit Again After a Decade?
“We’ve got a completely different team now,” explains Richard, who works as a Partnership and Expertise Manager for Forest Services. “Not many of the original team from 2015 are still there, and I thought it’d be nice to go back.”
This wasn’t just about nostalgia. Richard had noticed that Buckland’s approach had evolved, particularly in its use of more locally grown timber. “I realised in conversation with Keith that there was a slightly different business model, the way Buckland Timber was working. I thought that’d be interesting for those that have been there before, but for those that haven’t seen glulam being made and don’t know that much about it, everyone who hadn’t been there would find that fascinating.”
The June visit combined two complementary stories that perfectly showcased the journey from British forest to finished building.
At Buckland Timber, the team got to see glulam manufacturing in action – from the finger jointing process through to the final engineered timber products. But it wasn’t just about watching machinery. Robin’s comprehensive presentation showed them exactly why glulam is such a game-changer.
The five key advantages over solid timber really resonated:
Size – You can make larger sections than you can cut from a tree
Stability – Lower moisture content makes it more dimensionally stable
Shape – You can create curves (something you definitely can’t do with a steel beam!)
Strength – Lower quality raw material becomes higher quality end product by averaging out defects
Speed – Often quicker to obtain than sourcing specific large solid timber sections
The Forestry Commision enjoyed Robin’s presentation on glulam
Robin walked them through an impressive range of projects – from simple post and beam structures to complex curved portal frames, dramatic canopies, and heritage work. The diversity was striking: residential extensions one-minute, major infrastructure projects like train stations the next.
The technical depth was impressive too – covering everything from bolted and dowelled connections through to complex moment connections, various finish options, and moisture management strategies. They learned about different timber species and pricing – from European Spruce (starting around £600 per cubic metre) through to UK-grown hardwoods like Oak (£5500+ per cubic metre) and the increasingly popular British-grown Larch at around £1200 per cubic metre.
Glulam in reality
The second part of the day took them to UK Hardwoods in South Molton, where they saw a perfect example of local glulam construction in real life. Here Tom and Polly’s operation showcased the complete British timber journey:
- Sourcing: Oak, Ash and Chestnut from certified British managed woodlands
- Processing: Trees sawn according to quality – some for beams and sleepers, the finest for flooring and joinery
- Drying: Air drying for 1.5-2 years, then kiln drying for specialised applications
- Innovation: Their new thermal modification plant transforms Ash timber, heating it to over 200 degrees to change its chemical structure for enhanced durability
- The Showstopper: The larch glulam climate-controlled shed
“When Tom said they put the glulam structure up in four days, you could see everyone was genuinely awestruck,” Richard recalls. “There was definitely a wow factor when we walked through the older part of the building and suddenly entered the space with the glulam beams – the building just opens up and you think, ‘oh wow, that’s fantastic.'”
The Forestry Commision Visit UK Hardwoods in South Molton
One of the most valuable takeaways was understanding that exceptional results don’t require perfect raw materials.
“For a long time, as foresters, we’re all brought up to high prune trees to have really close grain timber,” Richard explains. “But the reality is timber prices don’t always reflect the cost of doing all that preparation work.”
The finger jointing technology at Buckland demonstrated to the visitors how this works in practice. “You can take a relatively lower value product – you don’t have to have something that’s high pruned, because their line will cut out all the imperfections, then glue it together and produce something as beautiful as the glulam beams.”
This was a bit of a lightbulb moment for many in the group – you don’t need perfect trees to create stunning architectural timber.
Building connections across the industry
The visit served a dual purpose: to educate and to network. “I see my role as joining up the dots,” Richard says. “When a woodland officer is talking to a landowner about timber markets, they might now say, ‘did you know about this company in Crediton that makes glulam? You don’t need to go to Scotland or Germany.'”
The impact was immediate and visible. “We had the biggest turnout we’ve had for a long time,” Richard noted. “You could tell everyone was engaged – they were asking questions, paying attention.”
The variety of UK-grown species being used was particularly encouraging. From Ash (in plentiful supply due to dieback disease) to locally grown Larch and even premium hardwoods like British Oak for heritage projects – each species brings its own characteristics, but all represent opportunities to add real value to British timber.
The combination of Buckland’s engineering expertise and UK Hardwoods’ processing capabilities tells a compelling story about what’s possible with British timber. From the larch affected by phytophthora that once seemed like a problem to solve, to the stunning architectural applications now gracing everything from train stations to heritage buildings – the potential is enormous.
As Richard puts it: “The fact that you can take relatively lower value source material and turn it into something beautiful and very high value – I find that a great story.”
The visit has already sparked interest in broader engagement. Richard is now planning to share the story with other Forestry Commission teams across England.
“I think other teams would find it interesting too,” Richard notes. “They’re going to be even less aware of Buckland Timber than we are, but they’ll be having similar conversations with woodland owners and architects.”
“We have a range of job roles in the SW Area Team (of around 60, currently)” says James Fry, Area Director. “They range from foresters and subject matter experts (such as ecologists and archaeologists) to technical and admin support staff. They all learnt a great deal and thoroughly enjoyed the day.”
The day perfectly demonstrated something we see time and again – when people understand what’s possible with British timber and modern engineering, it opens a world of possibilities. Sometimes all it takes is connecting the right dots.
Interested in arranging a visit to see glulam manufacturing in action, or want to discuss how locally sourced timber could work for your project? We’re always happy to show people around and share our passion for what British timber can achieve. Get in touch and let’s start the conversation.