PLEASE HELP if you use British Hardwoods (Keighley)

[Newbie_Neil]

I am putting together a table of timber yards, with information from members who have actually visited the yards. Can you PLEASE HELP with information about British Hardwoods (Keighley)?


(To VIEW the full list of yards click here)


(To ADD a new yard/s please post here after checking that it is not already in the table.)


Are they hobby friendly?

Can you self-select or is it by appointment?

Will they deliver?

Do they have online ordering?

Are prices displayed at the yard?

Do they sell domestic hardwoods?

Do they sell other hardwoods?

Do they sell softwoods?

Do they sell manufactured boards?

Do they sell turning blanks?

Are they a one-man-band or a small, medium or large yard?

Will they cut to length to fit in your vehicle?

Do you have any comments?

Thanks for your help,
Neil

 

[fezman]

I've just had another trip to British Hardwoods. I know a few members on here have been, so I was surprised to see no notes on them.

Here are my impressions.

Are they hobby friendly? Yes. They will let you search through packs of wood , selecting the boards you want. They have recently improved the "Timber Shop" for select pre-cut boards and blanks etc.

Can you self-select or is it by appointment? Self select and no appointment needed. I would imagine they have busy periods in the week, when they may be less accommodating, but I go early Saturday mornings and they are happy to get any pack down from the racks and let you self select.

Will they deliver? Yes - quotations are available on their web site

Do they have online ordering? Yes

Are prices displayed at the yard? Some. The packs on the racking are not priced per board, but the prices are on the website. Their is also a nice showroom of pre-cut, (in some cases) pre-planed boards, some with lots of figure and character. This area also has a number of burrs and turning blanks (mostly bowl).

Do they sell domestic hardwoods? Yes

Do they sell other hardwoods? Yes

Do they sell softwoods? Don't know - not my interest.

Do they sell manufactured boards? Yes, and you can order any timber machined up for you - also prices and lead times for this are on the website.

Do they sell turning blanks? Yes - not huge amounts, but plenty of variety

Are they a one-man-band or a small, medium or large yard? medium to large I would say. I would also recommend you ring before hand to check what they have got in stock. I wanted Cherry today and there wasn't a lot left after I'd selected what I wanted. They are (as a result of that) ordering some more in!

Will they cut to length to fit in your vehicle? Yes - and you can back your car into the warehouse to collect the wood in the dry.

Do you have any comments?
The service I have received (Jim both times I have visited) has been exemplary. They are very patient and accommodating The new "Timber Shop" area has loads of Yew boards, other timbers (walnut, elm, oak, sycamore, ash, etc) , blanks, glues, resins etc. You then have 2 large warehouses of Timber, waney and sawn. They also have all the machines to manufacture anything you could want.

I've also found that not only is their pricing keen, they seem to err on the lower side of any cubic calculations. I have always been very happy with what I paid.

 

[Richard_C]

I've been twice when passing (not often, 200 miles away). I'm diy/turner so picked up odd bits from the self-service timber shop including a very nice piece of figured yew that is now my coffee table. You can wander round that bit freely (not sure about in the days of covid). All seemed very well priced but its easy to spend more than you intend: nice piece if walnut offcut, only £x- I'll have that, oh ... look at that waney edge elm board ... oh ... etc.

Not used the 'proper' bit but it all looked excellent. To my mind, anywhere that has huge tree trunks in the yard and boards in the warehouse is 'proper' - they don't just buy in truckloads of whatever they can get although I'm sure some of it is bought in finished. Their website home page feaures a lot of flooring, it's better than it was but 2 years ago it looked like that was all they did. Shows up on google maps as Biritsh Hardwood Flooring. Far more than flooring though. Well worth a visit, not far from North Manchester either. Quick trip via M66/M65 and you are there.

 

[Illy]

It's a good fifty minute drive for me but I wouldn't dream of going anywhere else, first class and really friendly service.

 

[Blackswanwood]

In the good old days they used to have a couple of open days each year. Hopefully they will be able to get them up and running again soon.

 

[REN]

I’m lucky I live 10 mins away. A most excellent source of timber. First used them about seven years ago and found them both helpful and reasonably priced. Before discovering British hardwoods I used to goto John Body at Bouroughbridge. They closed (not sure if they have reopened) so I had to find other sources. Very hard to go into their showroom without buying more than originally planned .
Well worth a trip there.

 

[Blackswanwood]

John Boddy sold out to a firm from Nottingham which went bust. Several of the guys who worked there went across to Duffield Timber in Ripon who are also very good.

 

[REN]

Thanks, that’s good to know. Hate to see a good firm go under.

 

[Puggers]

I’m another regular user of British Hardwoods as I’ve found the range and quality unsurpassed in terms of my needs.
My wife shakes her head in resignation when she knows I’m going there and says she never sees me so excited! She’s used to me saying she should try harder then .
I like Duffields too but prefer British Hardwoods for the all round experience even though they’re a little further away.
I should go to Duffields more often....

 

[Bob Chapman]

Excellent firm - thoroughly recommend them.

 

[Blackswanwood]

Another good Yorkshire timber merchant is Scawton Sawmill. They are not set up for browsing in the same way as the other British Hardwoods and Duffields but are very helpful and also I’ve found good on price.

 

[Farmer Giles]

I've used British hardwoods for years, before they were at their current posh location they had a couple of old huts full of nice bits of interesting wood. Apart from wood for my hobby, I've bought loads of oak flooring and architrave from them. Good timber, good service and keen prices.

 

[grumpycorn]

Another good Yorkshire timber merchant is Scawton Sawmill.

Are Scawton’s ok with people buying a few boards? They’re website tends to deal in 5/10 c/ft (which is tempting) but I rarely need that much in one go and can’t really store it.

 

[Blackswanwood]

Are Scawton’s ok with people buying a few boards? They’re website tends to deal in 5/10 c/ft (which is tempting) but I rarely need that much in one go and can’t really store it.

Yes they are fine with it.

 

[grumpycorn]

Yes they are fine with it.

Thanks - will plan in a trip then!

 

[Barlow]

I bought some PAR oak beams from British Hardwoods to build a front porch. I visited them beforehand and was made most welcome and allowed to walk round the factory. They have an excellent website which made ordering easy and their prices seemed reasonable. Delivery was on time and quality good. Thoroughly recommend them.

 

[Cordy]

Went six years ago with Bryan
LOOK
Been a couple of times since; always OK

 

[fezman]

If anyone is going to Duffields, then I would suggest you ring and check they have stock . I went there on Friday last week, the place was pretty bare. There were no offcuts, no turning blanks, loads of beech, but everything else seemed to have very little stock on the self select shelves. They had also removed all the prices and labels from what I could see. I really valued the labelled approach - took the guesswork out of how much it was going cost me. Followed by the usual, oh go on then just another walnut board ;-)

I ended up leaving with nothing - which is pretty bad given it is a 100 mile + round trip for me.

 

[Woodchip Wilbur]

I’m lucky I live 10 mins away. A most excellent source of timber. First used them about seven years ago and found them both helpful and reasonably priced. Before discovering British hardwoods I used to goto John Body at Bouroughbridge. They closed (not sure if they have reopened) so I had to find other sources. Very hard to go into their showroom without buying more than originally planned .
Well worth a trip there.

Late into this thread - but I trump you! I'm only about 5 mins away! As you say, a most excellent source. As you say, too easy to spend too much. Just about to go down on my hunt for some thick (c.70mm) ash for bell stays. They say they haven't got any - but I bet they do! They usually have a soution. Really helpful, even in the height of lockdown.