Carving a Path From the Llŷn Peninsula

Despite the organic fit – growing up in the shavings of his father’s workshop; handling his first, small, draw knife aged eight; assisting on various projects during breaks from university – Tomos Davies-Hughes hadn’t especially envisioned a woodworking role for himself alongside his dad. Uncertain of a pathway upon leaving school, he would ultimately follow his friends, studying Business Management at Aberystwyth University. A stint back home (and more hands-on assisting) came next, and subsequently a Masters in Sustainable Building Design at the Welsh School of Architecture in Cardiff. Today, Tomos and Dafydd, the senior Davies-Hughes, lead a craft practice that stretches beyond their native north west Wales, taking on commissions across the UK and Europe – as well as in the more immediate landscape of Llŷn Peninsula, where their workshop is based.

“You kind of stumble upon them. You’ll be out on a walk with the dogs and you’ll spot something you installed years ago,” Tomos shares, alluding to the distinctive oak gates that Davies-Hughes & Sons have made, situated on coastal paths across the country, largely via collaborations with bodies such as the National Trust and National Resources Wales. With spiral head carvings reminiscent of snail shells, and swirling, Celtic-leaning lettering, these pieces in particular foreground the family’s poetic sensibilities (the bulk of their work, Tomos notes, tends to be more sobering timber framing for private residences). “We work a lot with the local council too, creating nature trails using oak signposts, notice boards, benches and other crafted pieces – like sculptures within woods.”

Originally a side project of Dafydd’s, established in tandem with a house move, the company proper was founded in 1995. “I think it was 1991 – I was born in 1992 – when he taught himself timber framing,” explains Tomos, relaying the genesis of the business. “He used to work for the council as a footpath warden, and that led to benches and chairs – including the traditional Welsh stick chair design – and before that he was living in Devon, doing VW Beetles up and selling them. And before that, he did a year in Antarctica in south Georgia, working on the bird colonies.” Tomos is the eldest of five, and two of his younger brothers, Ileu and Urien, are also involved with Davies-Hughes & Sons. “We’ve all been around it for as long as I can remember, helping dad out and then taking on little projects ourselves,” he offers.

“We always had birthday parties in the woods growing up,” he continues, recalling their early relationship with the outdoors. “We were constantly making dens and little structures at weekends and after school. But [the work] makes you appreciate nature in a different way, you become a lot closer to it. And the process of taking trees out of the woodland [they try and work with naturally felled trees] makes you really appreciate the whole process of planting and maintaining the woodlands.” Employing this care for local and natural materials means they attract people whose values echo their own, he observes. “Whether it’s a building or piece of furniture, we like to make sure it fits well within its environment; sometimes we’ll get asked by the client to use fell timber within their own woodlands. And we use a lot of naturally curved timbers, gnarly pieces that have grown on the side of windy hills, where the trees don't grow straight. The main principle behind that has been used for centuries.”

Central to the operation is their studio at Felin Uchaf, a cultural centre and community skills hub on a former farm, established in 2004. Here, Urien heads a regenerative farming programme and runs the on-site café, while Dafydd project manages and leads seasonal storytelling events. The primary workshop on the grounds, theirs is a thatched oak framed structure (the reed sourced from nearby Pwllheli), built together with a group of volunteers from around the world. “It's a great space to work in, we have people coming in and out all the time, fascinated by the building itself and wondering what we're up to,” says Tomos. 

“A team of volunteers helped raise it over eight months, and so on one big frame truss in the centre we’ve carved the names of all the different countries. It’s peppered.” Though it’s been standing for twelve years, and houses any number of projects, he notes that it remains unfinished. “We've just got so busy – I've been in maybe two times in the last three weeks. Our work takes us everywhere, which is really good fun and interesting, seeing different parts of the country. But it is always nice to be back in the relaxed atmosphere of the workshop – my favourite part is the processes, putting all your designs down on the wood.”

Tomos wears the TOAST Garment Dyed Cotton Twill Shirt and Soft Cord Drawstring Trousers. Lleu wears the TOAST Garment Dyed Oxford Workwear Shirt and Cotton Canvas Tapered Trousers. 

Words by Zoe Whitfield.

Photography by Lauren Maccabee.