80 The Woodworker & Good Woodworking August 2019 http://www.getwoodworking.comFEATURE Building a giant trebuchet
John Greeves talks to Fergus Stuart about the
work the Scottish team at Carpenter Oak undertook
during the construction of a medieval trebuchetC
arpenter Oak Ltd is a UK and
world renowned business that has
pioneered the use of structural timber
for sympathetic restoration for over
30 years as well as building new and innovative
timber-framed structures. This employee-owned
company has undertaken many ground-breaking
commissions and continues to combine technical
design with master craftsmanship and the use of
exquisite materials. Its uniquely skilled teams are
based in Devon, Cornwall, Wiltshire and Scotland
and no task, it seems, is too big. I was fortunate to
talk to Fergus Stuart, Design & Project Consultantfrom the Framing Yard in Loch of Lintrathen
in Scotland, about an exciting project the firm
has recently undertaken. He has been here since
2008, working seven years in the workshop
before moving into the office to handle sales
and concept design as well as being involved
in project management.OUTLAW KING
BUILDING A
GIANT TREBUCHET FOR
2 Warwick Castle trebuchet throwing arm, with
counter weight treadmills and projectile visible1 Warwick Castle trebuchet in action
Photographs courtesy of Warwick Castle4 The mighty trebuchet at Warwick Castle with fireballEdward I cuts the securing rope
to hurl the projectile towards Stirling
castle. Some of these details are
not visible here and would have
been added later by CGI–
photograph courtesy
of Netflix3 Trebuchet re-enactment
Photographs courtesy of Warwick CastlePhotographs courtesy of
Carpenter Oak Ltd,
unless otherwise stated