The Natural Woodsman

Happy August Bank Holiday!

I’ve taken a few weeks off for much needed family time and to re-charge my batteries. This time has given me the greatest opportunity to stop, slow down, plug back into the natural world in all its forms (not just trees), from days at the beach lying on the hot sand then being refreshed by the salty waves of the sea, to walking by a lake and noticing the vast selection of edible leaves, flowers and berries that summer gives in abundance!

This time is very precious and vastly underrated in helping to slow the mind and to again see what matters, rather than the hustle and bustle of day to day life.

I’m now back to work and have workshops and courses lined up as well as developing other activities. As the glorious landscapes of blues and greens, turn to gold, reds and browns I’m looking forward to sitting by the fire, meeting new people who want to slow down and reconnect to themselves through making and Autumn walks as the trees begin to change colour.

For a good few years, this workshop was where I spent most of my days.

It was warm, dry and organised. Every tool sort of had its place, the light was predictable. If it rained, it didn't matter. If it snowed, I didn’t notice.

Looking back I feel that I made some beautiful things here, and I'll always be grateful for what this workshop gave me, but something was missing.

These days, I work under trees more often than beneath a roof.

It's not always comfortable. In winter it's cold. In summer it's hot. Sometimes things get a bit mucky. Yet I find myself feeling more settled.

Maybe we've all become so good at creating controlled environments that we've forgotten what it's feels like to work alongside the living world instead of shutting it out.

I still love a good workshop.

I just don't want walls around me every day.

We've just returned from a few days in Barcelona with our good friends Matt & Michelle, we had a wonderful time. The city is extraordinary. Full of history, colour, music and life. I can completely understand why millions of people fall in love with it.

One of the unexpected gifts of travelling, though, is that it often teaches you something about home.

On the train to and from the airport, I found myself looking out at a landscape that was clearly beautiful, yet I couldn't quite settle into it. I didn't know the trees. I didn't recognise the plants. The scents were unfamiliar. Even the birds sounded different.

It made me wonder...

How many of us would feel exactly the same if we were dropped into an English woodland?
Modern life has quietly disconnected many of us from the landscapes that surround us. We can recognise hundreds of company logos, yet couldn't name the tree outside our own front door. We have become fluent in technology but forgotten the language of the seasons.

For me, learning the names of trees was never about becoming an expert. It was about becoming less of a stranger.

When you know an oak, a hazel or a rowan, they stop being "just trees". They become familiar neighbours. You notice when they flower, when they bear fruit, when the birds arrive and when the fungi appear. The countryside becomes less like a backdrop and more like a community.

Travelling reminded me how deeply our surroundings shape us. It also reminded me how grateful I am for the woods I know so well, and how much joy there is in getting to know them a little better each season.

Maybe reconnecting with nature doesn't begin with walking further or climbing higher.
Maybe it begins by learning the name of one tree.

Then another.

Until one day, wherever you are, you're no longer surrounded by strangers.

People often ask me why I still use hand tools.

The honest answer is... I'm not really sure.

I've got power tools. They're quicker and they earn their keep. But given the choice, I'll usually reach for an old plane or a sharp chisel.

I think it's because they make me slow down.

When you're using hand tools you can't bully the wood. If the grain wants to head off in another direction, it'll soon let you know. You end up working with it rather than trying to beat it into submission.

Funny really, because that's probably true of life as well.

After ten years making furniture I've realised that I was never just making furniture. Some days I was trying to make sense of my own head.

There's something about the smell of fresh shavings, a quiet workshop and the sound a sharp plane makes when everything's just right. It's hard to explain if you've never felt it.

Wood has been a good teacher to me. It's taught me patience, and it's taught me that not everything has to be rushed.

These days I'm becoming less interested in what I can make from a piece of wood.

I'm much more interested in what a piece of wood can do for a person.

Maybe that's why my work is changing.

There was a time when I looked at a woodland and simply saw… trees.

Now I see characters.& friends.

Our ancestors knew these trees well. They built their homes from them, carved tools from them, lit their fires with them, gathered medicine from them, and filled them with stories and meaning. They understood something we’ve largely forgotten: a woodland isn’t just a collection of trees. It’s a like a combination of Asda, B&Q and your best mates house

Over the next few weeks I’d like to share some of those stories. Not just the myths and legends, but the practical skills, the old traditions, the wildlife they support, and the reasons I’ve come to feel such a deep connection with them.

For me, spending time in the woods has never really been about escaping life. It’s about remembering how to slow down, notice more, and reconnect with something that’s been quietly waiting for us all along.

Every week I realise a little more that I'm no longer in the woodworking business.

Don't get me wrong, we still cut, drill, chisel and build things....

But what I'm really watching is confidence being built.

People discovering they're more capable than they thought.

Conversations starting between complete strangers.

Someone leaving a little calmer than when they arrived.

The wood is important, but it's never been the whole point.

It's simply the thing that brings people together.
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And that feels like work worth doing and I go home feeling tired, but fulfilled and happy.

For many years you’ve known Annie & me through our furniture making. Together we’ve shared projects, ideas, challenges and a love of making things properly.

Over the last few years, though, something has been changing.

Like many people, I’ve faced my own struggles with mental health. During that time I discovered that some of the greatest healing didn’t come from rushing towards the next achievement, but from slowing down. Spending time in nature. Working quietly with my hands. Learning to notice the world around me again.

Traditional woodworking became more than a craft. It became a way of reconnecting with myself.

That journey led me to train as a NatureWell facilitator, working with others to explore the relationship between nature, wellbeing and human connection. It also planted the seed for something new.

You may have noticed that I’ve changed the Soul Furniture logo to Natural Woodsman.

Natural Woodsman brings together everything that has shaped me: traditional hand-tool woodworking, woodland craft, nature and wellbeing. I’ll be offering practical workshops where people can step away from busy lives, learn traditional skills, work with natural materials and leave with something they’ve made with their own hands.

Whether that’s a handcrafted stool, time around a woodland fire, or simply a renewed sense of confidence, my hope is that people leave with a reminder that they are capable of more than they sometimes believe.

I’ll still be sharing my love of woodworking, tools and craftsmanship, but you’ll also see more of the woods, the people I meet and the journey that brought me here.

Thank you to everyone who has supported my work over the years. I hope you’ll enjoy coming with me on this next chapter.

Shaun
The Natural Woodsman

Men's Nature Hub 🍃

Improve your connection to nature, share your experiences with like minded people , build confidence and practice coping skills to improve your mental health.🧠

📍Witton Park
📅Start date: 6th May 2026, every Wednesday
⌚11am -2pm

If you are male and registered with a GP in West Blackburn (see the list on the flyer) you can register your interest before 29th April by calling 01254 612982