Barn Club: A Tale of Forgotten Elm Trees, Traditional Craft and Community Spirit
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Barn Club: A Tale of Forgotten Elm Trees, Traditional Craft and Community Spirit
By: Robert J. Somerville
A glimpse inside an ancient elm-framed barn in Hertfordshire, U.K., was enough to inspire author and builder Robert Somerville to change the course of his life. In his book, Barn Club, Somerville tells the captivating story of his vision to rekindle the age-old tradition of barn raising in his corner of the world. But this was not just a solitary builder scratching away at his life’s ambitions – it would become a gathering, a “Barn Club” of individuals from all walks of life who came to help over the course of a year in sourcing timbers, hewing, cutting joinery, and raising an elm-framed barn at Churchfield Farm.
Somerville tells an enchanting and engaging tale of the whole process – from the way he first felt looking into the shadowy depths of that old barn, to the search for good elm timbers in a country blighted by elm disease, to gathering friends and family (many of whom had no prior experience swinging an axe) for the massive effort. He shares many of the lessons learned along the way, as well as the technical details and finer points of hewing and scribing a timber frame. Besides the fun of the story, the how-to information in this book is top-notch.
“Craft is an event as much as a product,” Somerville begins. “It is something that happens.” That active sense of craft tradition is what keeps it alive today, rather than becoming relegated to the realm of inert artifact. Getting others inspired through projects such as a frame-raising can pull a community together and inspire new generations to keep handcrafts going strong. “More and more of us are recognizing the limitations of our modern life and yearn for something better, more meaningful, honest and fulfilling,” he writes. “We yearn for ways of life that make better use of the planet’s resources and that meet our human needs.” Barn Club shows a way forward into that kind of future, drawing from the skills and tools of the past.
6" x 9". Softcover. Published by Chelsea Green Publishing, White River Junction, VT. 2021. 272 pages.
"The opening chapters read like a prose poem; Somerville's love for nature and natural things is infectious." – Booklist
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“For all our advances, it’s hard to deny the modern world brings with it new ills of disconnection and disenfranchisement, but here in Barn Club they’ve found their cure.” – Barn the Spoon
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"In today’s ego-techno-centered world, Robert Somerville’s tale of elm trees, hand tools, timber framing, and comradery is a welcome relief. His “Barn Club” approach is a way forward that utilizes local traditions, local materials, and local hands to create a built environment that is more harmonious with the natural world and of course more beautiful. Now, if every community around the world had one of these Barn Clubs, how nice would that be?" – Jack Sobon