Duchy of Cornwall Nursery shop and tearoom

Locally sourced Douglas fir and Oak frame

They opted for a handcrafted Douglas fir frame with external colonnades in oak and curved cob walls to complete the structure. The Douglas fir and oak were sourced and cut at the local Duchy estate and sawmills whilst the six-metre ties (too large to be cut at Duchy) were cut across the border in Devon at South Brent. The roof is shingled with Weston Red Cedar and the gutters and downpipes are copper. Building the frame took a team of five carpenters six weeks to build and on-site it took five carpenters eight days to erect.  The frame is left untreated so that all the carpentry marks are visible – detailing the craftsmanship that takes place to produce our stunning frames.

On exploring the Nursery you will also find a Carpenter Oak pergola constructed in oak with a cedar shingled roof.

“This job is one of my favourites and one of the frames I am most proud of. I was very much involved with pre-site visits with the builder and the architects, this gave me a very broad understanding of what we were trying to achieve. The roof on this building is massive – it has three half-hips and a very long valley – it was a challenge to build, but once finished and up, it was a very satisfying job. Three years on and the building still looks amazing. The shingles have weathered and the copper has dulled, so now it sits in its surroundings, flanked by beautiful stone walls and twisted wooden fences, overlooking a deep valley with castle ruins on the other side. Most of our other frames get cleaned or sandblasted but this frame has been left with a natural rustic look. I love sitting in the café with a scone and a cuppa tea looking at the frame, all the pencil marks and lines that we put on the timber are still there and this gives the whole building a very honest straight-forward look and feel. I am so proud of this build that I always urge people to go and have tea and a cake and have a look.”

Rob Williams, Lead Carpenter

Are you considering a commercial timber frame building project? You can contact us at any stage of your plans, in fact, the earlier the better! We’re happy to go through design and structural details at any stage, by involving our frame designers early on we can ensure your design is coherent with timber framing principles.

View more public buildings.