
As the UK’s leading tropical timber reclamation specialist, Ashwells Reclaimed Timber has a long history of supporting those responsible for the restoration and care of the UK’s piers, jetties and coastline structures.
For over 30 years, Janine and the Ashwells team have reclaimed and repurposed tropical and temperate timber for piers, jetties, harbours, pontoons, fenders, decking, piling, bridge and sea defence works. Saving Jarrah, Ekki, Greenheart, Opepe and Keruing, and subsequently repurposing the timber for future use in a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified process.
The company has a proven track record of working together with partners including Southend Pier, Greenwich Pier, The Environment Agency, Tilbury Docks, DiveCo Marine, The Marine Policing Unit and many more.
The benefits of choosing reclaimed tropical timber
“These amazing trees take hundreds of years to grow, and the heat of the sun is what makes them immensely strong,” Janine explains. “What many people don’t realise, however, is that reclaimed tropical timber is just as durable as freshly sawn, with a lifespan of least 25 years – versus around 15 for oak. This longevity can be harnessed for a huge range of different projects and purposes, and is especially suited to piers and sea defences.”
Reclaimed tropical timber: the back story
“Many of the UK’s piers are built using vast quantities of tropical hardwood including Greenheart, Jarrah and Ekki,” Ashwells Director Janine Davies-Tutt, explains. “The potential to reclaim and reuse this incredibly durable timber is immense. This provides our pier partners with salvage income, reduces the quantity of virgin timber needed for repairs, and protects valuable architectural history.”
Southend Pier
Ashwells works with Southend-on-Sea City Council to keep the Pier in tip-top condition. Most recently…
- Ashwells sourced and supplied 6m lengths of FSC certified Greenheart to be installed as structural reinforcements as part of the pier’s £10.5m restoration project.
- Ashwells supplied FSC certified reclaimed Balau timber to be installed as cladding on the Pier’s new public toilet block.
- Ashwells reclaimed degraded Keruing timber from the pier’s structure before re-milling and supplying for use in the award-winning Back to Nature Garden at RHS Chelsea, co-designed by Andrée Davies and Adam White, in collaboration with HRH the Duchess of Cambridge (now the Duchess of Cornwall and the Princess of Wales).
Reclaim & reuse your timber as part of sustainable best practice
Choose FSC-certified reclaimed timber
- Prevent further deforestation
- Protect important architectural history
- Ensure timber is in-situ for the longest possible lifespan
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