One Ash: Colin Henwood
The One Ash project launched in 2020 with the aim of giving young people from four Andover schools a greater understanding of the role of trees in our lives. The project connects the school children with crafters, artists and other people who work with wood on a daily basis.
On 13th February 2020 the children, crafters, artists and wood-workers witnessed the felling of an ash tree on the Englefield Estate near Reading. The tree was then divided and distributed to the individual wood-workers and you can follow the journey of the wood and the many different forms it will take through the One Ash journal pages.
In this edition of the One Ash blog we meet Colin Henwood, a craftsman of wooden boats. Colin has a workshop at The Sylva Foundation Wood Centre and has developed a short two-day paddle making course as part of their Wood School program.
What have you been up to with your piece of the ‘One Ash’ since felling day?
Since the One Ash log was sawn into planks and we brought it back to The Sylva Foundation Wood Centre it has been gently seasoning with sticks between the boards to let the air circulate and dry out the timber. I have chosen one board to make my One Ash paddle from and it is almost dry enough to be worked into a beautiful canoe paddle.
Do you often work with ash? If yes, can you tell me a little about why you like using ash?
Over the last 4 or 5 years I have used Ash for my paddles. Ash is a beautiful timber to carve and shape, it has very few knots and has a wonderful grain. An interesting characteristic is its flexibility which gives the paddle a “tone” in a similar way that musical instrument makers chose different timbers for their musical tone. Ash grows well in this country so there are very few “timber miles” involved in its journey from the woodland to my workshop. Of course Ash is threatened by the invasive disease Ash Dieback; many trees are already suffering and will die. But, forest scientists have found some Ash trees are resistant to the disease and these can provide the seeds for re-planting. Our job is to show everyone what a brilliant timber Ash is and explain why it should be highly valued, then woodland owners will replant with the resistant varieties and Ash will recover.
What is your favourite wood to work with?
I am a boatbuilder, I only work with wooden boats, I repair them, re-build them and occasionally build new ones. I am not sure if I have a favourite wood as I am lucky to work with some amazing wood. I do have some that I do not like at all.
What is the process of turning a blank of wood into a paddle?
What are you essential tools?
Although I have lots of power tools that do all sorts of different tasks it is my hand tools that I really love. Boats tend to be curvy and shapely with few straight lines or right angles, most power tools only really work with flat, straight and square timber, so I work mostly with hand tools. My tool box is full of woodworking tools and there are some that have become old friends over the years. Some are nearly worn out but I cannot manage to part with them, my small mallet is ancient and has lots of bits missing where I have hit something a bit too hard and a chunk has split off. I also have a very old smoothing plane made by a long gone manufacturer called Norris, these planes are really special and are beautiful to hold and use.
Did you go to college to learn your craft? How has your journey led you to where you are today?
I began boat building about 45 years ago, when I started out there were no colleges teaching boatbuilding nor could I get an apprenticeship as the industry was in recession. So I learnt “on the job”, trying to learn by my mistakes and, eventually, working with some very skilled people. After a while I thought I could set out on my own and that was when I really had to learn very fast. I started my own boatyard specialising in traditional Thames boats; we built, re-built and maintained beautiful Thames launches. Nearly 5 years ago I handed over the boatyard to two people from my team and now I work on my own again just as I did at the start. I am very lucky to work at the Sylva Foundation Wood Centre where I have my workshop.
You grew up in a family of boating enthusiasts - do you think proximity to water is the key to happiness and well-being?
My childhood was spent in a family that enjoyed making things and boats were always part of my life. We tried making many things, some were successful others were not. If we wanted a toboggan we made it ourselves, if it was a canoe we had a go at making one. Buying the thing you wanted from a shop was not the first thing we thought of. Modern consumerism has made this approach obsolete, but I learnt that the handmade had a value to be cherished. Boats were always a fascination for me, the variety, the beauty and the materials associated with boats has kept me enthralled all my life. A boat, as a hand-made object, combines style and function. Powered by wind, muscle or electricity a wooden boat has an unrivalled relevance today. I have no idea about what really makes people happy or gives them a sense of well-being, but a boat, hand- made from a natural material, powered by something that has no negative impact on our planet, that will outlast any car, electronic gismo or other trivia has to be a great thing.
Are you noticing an increase in demand as people are taking up outdoor pursuits since the start of the pandemic?
Certainly, the river is very busy with people on everything from paddle boards to motor cruisers. I think many people have discovered the beauty of our countryside where before the pandemic their mindset revolved around their car and holidays abroad.
If you would like to find out more about Colin’s work with the One Ash project follow his journal.
You can read about all the crafters, artists and wood-workers on the One Ash project page.
An exhibition of the One Ash project, including Colin’s work, is planned for 2022 and will form part of the 10-year celebration of all that Andover Trees United has achieved, including the completion of planting in Harmony Woods.