Wood Stories
Summer 2024
Outdoor Projects

Here in Michigan, my sawyer friend, John Haling was cutting up a rotten piece of hickory for firewood, when he saw the figure inside, and thought, “I wonder if Walt can use this in a project?” In Richmond, Virginia, Cathy Poole had been wanting garden gate for some time, and when I saw these slabs, I knew that they would be perfect for this project. I reached out to my blacksmith, friend, Lucy Sandys-Clarke in England, and together we developed a design. While I was in the UK this past spring, I picked them up – hot off the anvil – from Lucy’s forge.

Some door latch nomenclature from the North of England: The bit on the door frame that holds the latch closed is called the 'keeper', the bar that swings in and out of the keeper is the 'sneck', and on the other side of the door, above the handle there's a place for your thumb called the 'sneck lifter'. (That's also the name of a Lake District beer.)
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But Lucy discovered a secret sneck lifter on the door of a local pub, and made one for our door.




Lucy has done several projects for us over the years.


Two Handrails


A bantam house with 'chicken feet' hinges.


Here is a sampling of other outdoor projects I've done in the UK...




...and some here in the US:



