Barn Club: A Tale of Forgotten Elm Trees, Traditional Craft and Community Spirit

‘Somerville knows more about wooden barn construction than almost anyone alive.’—The Telegraph

‘A joyful reminder of why nature, being outside, being together and creating beauty is so good for the soul.’—Kate Humble, broadcaster and author of A Year of Living Simply

‘For all our advances, it’s hard to deny the modern world brings with it new ills of disconnection and disenfranchisement, but here in Barn Club they’ve found their cure.’—Barn the Spoon, master craftsman and author of Spōn

Nature meets traditional craft in this celebration of the elm tree, beautiful buildings and community spirit.

Barn Club calls on us to discover our landscapes more intimately and to explore the joys of making beautiful things by hand, together.

When renowned craftsman Robert Somerville moved to Hertfordshire, he discovered an unexpected landscape rich with wildlife and elm trees. Nestled within London’s commuter belt, this wooded farmland inspired Somerville, a lifelong woodworker, to revive the ancient tradition of hand-raising barns.

Barn Club follows the building of Carley Barn over the course of one year. Volunteers from all walks of life joined Barn Club, inspired to learn this ancient skill of building elm barns by hand, at its own quiet pace and in the company of others, while using timber from the local woods.

The tale of the elm tree in its landscape is central to Barn Club. Its natural history, historic importance and remarkable survival make for a fascinating story. This is a tale of forgotten trees, a local landscape and an ancient craft.

This book includes sixteen pages of colour photographs, and black and white line drawings of techniques and traditional timber frame barns feature throughout.