Vastern Timber UK

12/08/2026

This is Rupert, out in woodlands near Fonthill Gifford, looking for wood.

Tom Barnes joined him for the morning. Between them they measured 55 cubic metres of mixed ash and oak, from woodland that sits 35 miles from our sawmill.

The short distance is the point. Two lorry loads and a drive of under an hour, rather than a container ship and a set of import papers. We buy our timber by going to look at the trees.

The ash is destined for Brimstone, our thermally modified British cladding. The oak will be cut for hardwood flooring. After a year of drying, those boards will end up in kitchens and hallways within a few hours of the woodland where they grew.

We hand-select at source because the decisions that matter most are made before a log ever reaches the mill. Species, quality, straightness, and whether a tree becomes flooring, cladding or something else. Tom and Rupert made those calls standing in the woods at Fonthill Gifford.

Read the full story on our website. Or better still, subscribe to our newsletter and the next one lands straight in your inbox.

https://www.vastern.co.uk/

10/08/2026

A wood floor is one of those things you cannot judge on a screen.

The colour shifts in daylight. The grain has depth a photo flattens. Two oak boards from the same tree can look completely different. What you see online is rarely what turns up.

So don't buy blind.

Come to our showroom in Royal Wootton Bassett. It sits in the timber yard where we mill the boards, four generations of doing this behind us.

And you won't be left to work it out alone. Our team talks you through it:
Solid or engineered, and what suits your room
Which species fits how you live
What works over underfloor heating
Where your budget goes furthest

British-grown timber, milled by people who know it. Chosen with help, not guesswork.

Book a showroom visit and see your floor before you commit.

Would you go engineered or solid wood floor?

https://www.vastern.co.uk/flooring/

07/08/2026

Heartwood Saunas builds outdoor saunas from a workshop in Mid Wales for clients across the UK.

Founder Olly Davey grew up between woodland and mountains. He kept asking one question. Why does Britain have no sauna culture of its own? So he built one.

The Arbor Five sits in his Signature Collection. A twin-pitched roof, a full-height glass front and post-box windows that carry the view right through. Even with the fire unlit, natural light turns it into a quiet room for reading and slowing down.

Inside, it's clad in our Brimstone Ash and Poplar. Thermally modified British timber, milled here at our Wiltshire sawmill, then sent the short distance to Mid Wales. Less travel. Less imported old-growth timber. More demand for the woodland management that keeps British forests working.

Olly puts material first. Locally grown, responsibly sourced and chosen to age well. Good saunas are built to last decades. That starts with the timber. Heartwood knows it. So do we.

Read the full story on our website, then head to the Case Studies. Or better still, subscribe to our newsletter and the next one lands straight in your inbox.

Sauna maker:
Photographer: Beth Squire | www.bethsquire.com

05/08/2026

The Woodshed is a former barn, now reimagined as a calm, contemporary home by DLM Architects

Designed with modern living in mind, the space balances openness with privacy, maximising natural light while creating moments of shade and seclusion.

A neutral palette of plaster, brick and porcelain keeps the look refined and low maintenance.

Our Brimstone Wood Ash Cladding adds a bold architectural feature, forming a dormer-style extension that enhances both space and visual impact.

Set within its landscape, the home feels quietly connected to its surroundings. It is sustainable, thoughtful and beautifully resolved.

🔗 Read more about this gorgeous home on our website and head to the Case Studies. Or better still, subscribe to our newsletter and our next one will be delivered straight to your inbox!

Architect DLM Architects
Photographer Sarah | Interior & Lifestyle Photographer

01/08/2026

Come and talk to us!

Build It Live South West.
12 and 13 September.
Westpoint Arena, Exeter.
Stand E15.

Our team have spent years around this timber.
We know how each species weathers, which profiles suit a north-facing wall, and what will give you the best result for your project and your budget.

Bring your plans. Bring your questions.

Hold the timber. Ask us anything.

British grown, milled in Wiltshire.

17/07/2026

Vastern Timber is proud to introduce a new type of flooring.

We have developed a different approach to manufacturing engineered flooring. We have re-engineered it.

Fyral replaces the standard imported plywood core found in almost every engineered wood floor. Using a thermally modified British timber core, Fyral is the first engineered floor to use British wood to the core: British timber, design and manufacture.

We are improving environmental impact by using locally grown timber, whilst increasing stability in the floor with a thermally modified core.

🔗 Head to our website to find out more (link in the bio) or comment FYRAL and we’ll send you the link.

01/05/2026

Thermally modified timber has quietly become one of the most interesting materials in modern cladding.

Brimstone is our version, made from British hardwood, grown and processed here in the UK.
If you’re visiting Build It Live in Malvern this May, come and see it for yourself.

There’s something about real timber that photos never quite capture.

20/03/2026

You can choose the right timber.
Design the façade carefully.
Install every board perfectly.

And still ruin the whole thing with one small detail.

The fixings.

Many timbers react with ordinary steel, which can cause corrosion and dark staining running down the cladding over time.

The solution is simple: use stainless steel fixings.

It’s a small decision that helps protect timber cladding for decades.

We’ve written a short guide explaining why it matters and how to get it right.

Read the article here:

Using galvanised nails on timber cladding can cause black streaks and rust staining. Learn why stainless steel fixings are essential and how to avoid damaging your cladding.

26/02/2026

Where does timber quality really begin?

Not at the sawmill. Not at installation.

It starts in the woodland, in the genetics of the trees themselves.

Oak growth, strength and resilience are shaped decades before they ever become beams or flooring. That’s what Eamonn Cooper’s PhD research is exploring.

If you’re interested in the future of British oak and what that means for buildings today, take a look.

🔗 https://www.vastern.co.uk/news/understanding-oak-genetic-diversity/

23/02/2026

Thinking about wood flooring?

Here’s the truth: when a floor fails, it’s rarely because “wood is bad.” It’s usually because of decisions made before it was laid.

Solid or engineered?
Underfloor heating or not?
How dry is the building?

Get those right and a hardwood floor can last decades. Get them wrong and you’ll know about it.

If you’re planning a renovation or new build, this is worth a few minutes before you order anything.

🔗 https://www.vastern.co.uk/news/solid-wood-flooring-what-to-know-before-you-choose/