Case Study
Handcrafted Oak Trellis at the Hugo Burge Foundation Walled Garden
The best garden structures often look inevitable once they are finished. At the Walled Garden of the Hugo Burge Foundation, the oak trellis appears calm and simple: a long, repeated timber rhythm dividing the kitchen garden and helping to organise the space.
Its apparent simplicity hides the difficult part of the project. The top of the trellis needed to follow the visual line of the outer garden wall. As the ground undulated down the hill, as well as along, the design had to be considered so that the finished structure would read as one continuous line.
Project at a Glance
LOCATION | Marchmont House, Duns, Scottish Borders
PROJECT TYPE | Bespoke Oak Trellis
SETTING | Historic walled garden
WOODWORKS SCOPE | Detail development, manufacture and installation.
TIMBER | Green Oak
INITIAL DESIGN | Toby Loveday, Head Gardener
DESIGN INTENT | Trellis chosen to divide & structure the kitchen garden.
COMPLETED | 2025
The brief
Head gardener Toby Lovely approach WoodWorks, with a sketch and a grand idea. The plan was to develop the walled gardens further, dividing the space to develop a kitchen garden with another stand alone fence running to create more distinct areas within the gardens.
An important visual aspect of the trellis was that it had to follow the same slope as the existing wall. Careful consideration was needed to be given to the foundations also.
Initial sketch proposed by head gardener Toby Loveday.
Working with a listed building
The setting meant that the new structure had to be considered in relation to an established historic building. The aim was not to imitate the original architecture, but to introduce a clearly crafted timber element that felt appropriate in scale, material and detail.
Working from the architect’s design, we developed the frame in detail before manufacture, coordinating its geometry, openings, connections and the points where the new structure would meet the existing building. This preparation is particularly important when new timber work meets old construction: dimensions, tolerances, weathering and interfaces all need to be understood before the frame reaches site.
Completed oak frame sunroom with locally sourced sandstone to match the existing house.
Developing and making the oak frame
The frame was set out and cut in the workshop using traditional timber-framing principles. Each component forms part of the finished architecture, so structural decisions and visual decisions are inseparable: joint positions, brace geometry, post sizes and beam lines all contribute to how the room reads once complete.
Traditional mortice-and-tenon joints and oak pegs give the frame a clear, legible structure. The result is not a timber-effect finish applied to a conventional room; the frame is the room’s primary architectural structure.
Oak frame components and glazing boards being dry-fitted in the workshop before delivery.
A project like this also depends on accurate preparation. The better the frame is prepared in the workshop, the calmer the site installation becomes. Components can be checked, joints refined and the sequence of erection planned before delivery.
Installation, glazing and enclosure
On site, the oak frame was assembled onto the new blockwork walls and connected to the existing building. Following construction and slating of the roof, we returned to install the bespoke oak French doors manufactured by Maddock Joinery Manufacture in Montrose and designed to integrate with our glazing system. The glazing was detailed to preserve the visual clarity of the oak structure while providing the weather-tightness and performance required of a modern living space.
The oak frame assembled on site before installation of the glazing.
Corner junction with pegs still long waiting to be cut back
Direct glazing system nearing completion.
The Finished Room
The completed sunroom is intentionally simple: oak, glass and the existing masonry each remain visually distinct. Despite the restricted footprint, the exposed frame, high roof and broad areas of glazing give the room a much greater sense of space and open it towards the garden.
The oak provides warmth and depth without competing with the original building. For WoodWorks, the project demonstrates how traditional timber framing can work particularly well in sensitive historic settings — not by imitating the existing architecture, but by introducing a clearly crafted structure of its own.
We enjoy what we do. We take pride in our work
— and that care shows in the buildings we produce.
Are you planning an oak frame extension, sunroom or replacement structure for an existing property? WoodWorks works with homeowners, architects and contractors across Scotland to develop and build handcrafted timber frames.