Where and what wood to buy?

[DWadds]

I'm in the Conwy area, North Wales.
I have an American book which calls for maple, cedar and beech, what are some good easy to access British equivalent wood?

I have a B&Q, MKM building supplies, Huws Gray and Snowdon Timber. Are there any others people would recommend?

For a guide my first few projects will be a chopping board, bird house, mallet and then workbench.

 

[akirk]

all three of those are available in the UK quite easily...
you want to avoid B&Q and building supplies companies and look for timber suppliers close to you. A quick google should find some - however there are many across the country who will send wood to you as well...

 

[--Tom--]

Welcome!
Chopping board - beech or sycamore are good choices - I’d avoid ring porous woods like oak and ash
Mallet - beech, ash, or find an old bowls ball - typically Lignum Vitae
Birdhouse - larch is pretty durable outside
Workbench - whatever works out cheapest - softwood fine for the frame too. Ideally something relatively dense to resist denting and ideally quarter dawn for stability, for the top.

 

[DWadds]

So for the bench I was thinking something simple for now. For the top, glueing 9 1.6m 2x4 together and then using some more 2x4 for the legs.
Would any of theses work?
https://mkm.com/product/47mm-x-100m...sed-kiln-dried-carcassing-treated-c24-t002833
https://www.jewson.co.uk/p/fsc-prem...ed-c24-treated-carcassing-100-x-47mm-FAJT4710
https://www.huwsgray.co.uk/treated-...eated-carcassing-timber-36m-100010677-2825276

Where I live seems to be short of actual timber merchants as when you google them all you get is building merchants.

 

[Hornbeam]

We do not seem to be well served by good hardwood suppliers in the north west /north Wales area
Potters in Nantwich are easy to deal with
Dave Hoyle was very good but I think he is now closed
For your bench consider what you want from it. To make a really good bench is a lot of work and it is worth using a hardwood for the top.
If this is a bit of something to start with consider using framed MDF which you could then use as an assembly bench/sharpening station etc if you decide to make a better one

 

[--Tom--]

Seems to be a sawmill here that could be worth a try

https://www.mostynestates.co.uk/forestry/