Martin Tetlow

Martin was brought up on a family farm in Lancashire and from a very early age was using natural craftsmanship in building, making and mending doors, animal pens, rabbit hutches and pigeon lofts etc. on the family farm. Throughout his school life woodwork was his favourite subject.

In 1966 when he married a girl from Yorkshire they bought a country style solid oak dining-room suite made by a local Yorkshire craftsman, known as 'The Squirrel Man' and this was his inspiration to work in oak.

Martin has had no formal training, but has developed his skills through practice, observation, trial, error and more practice and now, having recently retired, he has more time to enjoy his 'hobby'.

Martin enjoys the unique aroma produced when working oak and seeing a fine piece of furniture evolve from rough planks of wood. From the sourcing of the materials to the finished article there are many hours of care and attention to detail. His furniture has simple lines and chunky styling. It is made predominantly from oak that has been grown, felled and seasoned in Cumbria. The slate he uses has been quarried, sawn and polished in the Lake District, each piece being a one-off-picture just as nature laid it down.