People and Places

A law unto himself

By Terry Barber

Ben Law captured the nation's imagination by building his own woodland house and opting for a life in the forest

Ben Law at home

'As well as growing vegetables, we have chickens and rear our own lamb. I also eat squirrel, pigeon and rabbit from the woods, which is part of the management as the squirrels, in particular, do so much damage to the trees.'

What is a typical day like for you?

It varies a great deal but, generally, I get up and let the chickens out, chop some wood for the Rayburn and then start work in the coppice, cutting chestnut to make fencing. Chestnut is very durable in the ground, so it's ideal for fencing, pergolas and trellis panels and can last up to 25 years. As we move into spring, it's coming to the end of the cutting season, so I do more rustic furniture making. In summer, I burn charcoal, which is used on barbecues and for artists' drawing materials.

How do you 'manage' the woods?

The woodland I manage is predominantly coppice, which means that you cut down the trees during winter and they re-shoot in spring from the base. A few years later, when these poles have reached the right size for whatever you're making, you cut them down again. It carries on year after year, because you don't kill the trees. It's one of the oldest forms of woodland management - some coppice woodlands in this country have been managed for a thousand years.

Do you grow any of your own food?

We have a vegetable garden of about a third of an acre, which is based on a terrace system in raised beds. We grow perennial vegetables, such as asparagus and globe artichokes, plus leeks, chard, parsnips, carrots, beetroot, purple-sprouting broccoli and Brussels sprouts. I also like to grow Chinese salad vegetables, such as 'Green in Snow' and 'Mizuna', which are quite happy through the winter and survive even the hardest frosts.

Had you experience of growing crops before?

My father had a semi-market garden for a while, growing strawberries and tomatoes in polytunnels that we sold to a farm shop. I've always had an inclination towards growing things, and when I left school, I worked on a smallholding for a while. My wife, Bev, is a very keen gardener too.

Do you have an ornamental garden as well?

We do, and I've designed it around some of the products that I make, so that people can see them in situ. It's predominantly mixed herbaceous, with a pergola at one end covered in climbing roses. We've also got penstemons, bidens, chocolate cosmos, cardoons, teasels, gaura, delphoniums and anemones. It's very colourful and is particularly good in spring and early summer. It's like an island in the middle of the woods.

Are you self-sufficient?

I think we're realistically self-sufficient, but not completely. We run a car, and we do buy some produce from shops, though that's getting less and less. As well as growing vegetables, we have chickens and rear our own lamb. I also eat squirrel, pigeon and rabbit from the woods, which is part of the management as the squirrels, in particular, do so much damage to the trees.

What is the best part about having built your own house?

For me, it works with my lifestyle. I'm an outdoor person and I like the fact that there are a lot of indoor-outdoor spaces, such as verandahs, where you can sit out and enjoy being in the woods. On the other hand, on a cold night it's really nice to be in a cosy, warm, well-insulated house. It's quite different from being under canvas, which is where I spent a number of winters.

What have you been up to this past year?

I got permission to put a couple of extra rooms on the house because we have a young son, Zed, and he was joined by a baby sister, Tess, in August. I've also built a new workshop so I can make more products from the coppiced timber and I’ve got two full-time apprentices who make use of it, learning everything from forest management to processing the coppiced wood. I’m also writing a woodland yearbook about cycles and seasonality in the woodland and what goes on.

Is it true you turned down the chance to appear on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here?

Not exactly. I was contacted, but not to head out to Australia I’m glad to say. They wanted me to be involved as a kind of expert giving ideas and opinions about living in the jungle. I decided not to, and keep my integrity intact!

Share this page:

Email address

Password

Remember me
Forgotten Login?