Kew at Castle Howard

Within the Arboretum, you will find a collection of specimens that have been grown and harvested over the course of many centuries expressly for making British furniture. These furniture timber trees in the Arboretum are distinguished by a green label bearing the crest of the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers, who have sponsored the plantings. They also have a descriptive illustrated panel featuring the original watercolours and narrative created by Lin Hawthorne for the book ' Furniture Makers' Trees in the Arboretum - Kew at Castle Howard' which she produced for the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers to commemorate the opening of the exhibition.

Many of the trees are familiar - as living things in the landscape, in your own garden, or perhaps because they are used in furniture in your own home. But you will discover that many trees that you think of as purely ornamental have also been used for their beautiful wood in the making and decorating of the finest furniture over hundreds of years.

In the Arboretum you will find examples of timber-yielding species at two locations. The more unusual species are planted in the Gatehouse area. These are mostly small trees and shrubs that seldom produce enough timber to produce whole pieces of furniture, but they nevertheless contribute to the beauty and colour as veneers, marquetry, or as turned decoration. The major timber trees are planted in the Furniture Makers' Walk, which was opened by the Master of the Worshipful Company in July 2000.