By the 1800s the demand for firewood from Chiltern woodlands had fallen because more and more people were using coal for fuel in their homes. At the same time though the local furniture-making industry was taking off, and this required a regular supply of wood. Chair-making became an important industry, especially around High Wycombe. The woods began to change in appearance as tall, narrow trees were grown to produce timber which could be handled easily by woodland workers. Some areas were planted with beech, which were often felled when they reached 40 years old. The high beech forest that we know today began to appear.
Chairs were assembled in factories but some of their components like legs, spindles and back supports were made in the woods by craftsmen known as bodgers. These men worked in the woods every day, building small huts for shelter. The chair industry thrived for over a hundred years but declined at the end of the Victorian era as foreign timber began to be imported in large quantities. A few bodgers continued working in the woods, some could be found on the Hampden Estate near Great Missenden into the 1950s.
explore the woods
Our interactive picture below allows you to explore a 19th century wood. Click on any of the
magnifying glass symbols to find out more information.
