Made from locally felled spalted beech from the Castlewellan area, this centrepiece and tealight holder shows the dramatic dark lines and gentle colour shifts that spalting creates. Beech is normally a calm, even‑grained hardwood, but when spalting develops it transforms the wood into something far more expressive. The markings wander through the grain like ink lines, giving each piece its own unique pattern.
The timber comes from the mixed hardwood woodlands around Castlewellan, a region known for its long forest history and steady, slow‑grown trees. The cool, damp climate often encourages the subtle spalting patterns that make pieces like this so distinctive. It’s a piece that carries both the character of the wood and the landscape it grew in.
Finished with a food‑safe natural oil, this centrepiece works beautifully on a dining table, mantle, or windowsill. The tealight recess adds a warm glow that highlights the grain and brings out the natural movement in the wood, making it a striking bit of handcrafted Irish timber for the home.
