Dart Valley Timber is a sawmill situated in the beautiful Dart valley, near Totnes. We process and stock local, sustainably managed timber, specialising in sawing and stocking local hard and soft woods, and bespoke milling.
Answering the need for sustainable timber
In 2014, local carpenter & furniture maker, Zav Bowden, set up the 'Dart Valley Timber' saw mill with the intention of processing locally sourced timber, which could be sold for local building and carpentry projects. The mill would become central to the Totnes economy, providing jobs for local people and circulating money through other local businesses.
The saw mill sources trees from small local woodlands which are well managed, often by the National Trust and Woodland Trust. A variety of timber is processed by the mill, including softwoods like larch and pine, for the building industry and hardwoods like oak and walnut for more bespoke carpentry projects. Alongside milling local wood, Zav has a thriving firewood business that makes use of any of the 'waste' wood that can't be used for building.
Ten years, on and the sawmill is thriving, with a rolling stock of high quality air-dried hard and softwoods, as well as milling bespoke and custom wood projects to order.
As the sawmill matures, the focus is on cutting and air-drying local hardwood that will keep Devon’s woodworking artisans and construction workers supplied with excellent quality local timber, with a specialism in helping bespoke carpentry projects that benfit from Zav's experience as a skilled and knowledgeable woodsman.
He comments, "I really enjoy helping people realise projects that can't be sawed by other local mills - or that need specialist knowledge and equipment".
