Merrist Wood College Gets Huge Timber Donation From a Local Builders Merchant

Published on: 3 Oct, 2022
Updated on: 3 Oct, 2022

A huge donation of timber from local builders merchants has been delivered to Merrist Wood College in Worplesdon free of charge.

Some of the wood will be used for a fence around a tree planted by Queen Elizabeth II when she opened the college’s equine arena in 2000.

Queen Elizabeth II planting tree at Merrist Wood Equine Arena in April 2000. Some of the timber will be used to make a fence around the tree planted by the queen.

The donation came from Chandlers Building Supplies in the West End, Woking. Yard manager Stuart Gowar said: “Due to the very hot and long summer we have had, some of our stock had warped in the heat and we were unable to use it. Donating the timber to a good cause made the most sense.

“I offered the timber to Merrist Wood College as my son was a landscaping student there ten years ago and had the best experience. He has gone on to have a career in the landscaping industry and it’s thanks to his training at Merrist Wood.”

Chandlers yard manager Stuart Gowar’s son had studied landscaping at Merrist Wood.

The Chandler’s trucks delivered the timber to the landscaping department at the college’s 400-acre site in Worplesdon at the start of term.

The huge amount of timber donated to Merrist Wood will be used on the 400-acre Worplesdon campus.

The college spokesperson said the timber will be put to good use in various ways across the campus. They said: “Most of the wood will be used by our landscape and horticulture students as part of their project-based learning experience as well as to enhance and maintain the grounds by creating fences, raised beds, shuttering and the fabrication of timber structures, to name just a few.”

Tim Gamble, rural estates manager at Merrist Wood College said: “This is a great example of community at its best and we are very appreciative of this kind gesture.

“We will indeed be putting it to really good use and it will benefit our landscaping and horticulture students in their studies and overall experience at the college for years to come.”