West Berkshire Museum returns oldest carved wood in Britain to Boxford
The 6000 year old 'Boxford Bog Oak' is back where it was first discovered
The oldest carved wood in Britain, which had been safely in the care of the West Berkshire Museum, is now back in the parish of Boxford in West Berkshire where it was first discovered by chance during the construction of a workshop there in 2019.
The large piece of well-preserved oak has been on display in West Berkshire Museum since 2025 but the West Berkshire Council Museum Team were very keen to ensure the timber could be loaned back to the area that it was found in and had been working hard behind the scenes on the exciting project in collaboration the Boxford Heritage Centre where it can now be enjoyed by visitors.
The Museum Curators worked with the Boxford History project to secure funding from the Museum Development South East to purchase a high-quality case and display mounts. These help the security and conservation needs of the timber to be met by Boxford Heritage Centre, and any borrowing organisation in the future.
The Boxford timber, or the 'Boxford Bog Oak,' was confirmed by Historic England to be 6000 years old, making it the oldest decoratively carved wood in Britain. There is a 95% probability that the final ring formed in 4640 BC - 4605 BC. It dates from the end of the Mesolithic period (Middle Stone Age) when people were changing from hunting and gathering their food to a more settled lifestyle. The meaning behind the markings on this piece of timber is not known, but they are reminiscent of the decoration seen in early Neolithic pottery.
Whilst in the care of West Berkshire Museum the timber was scanned by Surface Scan Ltd, who will share how they did this though a case study. An exact replica was created from the scan, which then went to Sims Polishing Ltd, who worked on colourising the 3D print to match wood tones from the original piece. The replica model is now on display at West Berkshire Museum whilst the original is on loan.
"We are very excited to return the Boxford wood carving to the area that it was first discovered. The West Berkshire Museum team have worked so diligently with the local community to deliver this exciting project, not only with offering interpretation and advice, but also securing funding to purchase a case to make sure the timber could be displayed safely. It is a great example of collaborative working to make sure this remarkable piece of heritage can be enjoyed by everyone in the community."
You can see this fascinating find in the Boxford Heritage Centre which is open to the public on the 1st Sunday of each month from 2-5pm.
The replica timber is on display at West Berkshire Museum in Newbury, which is open Wednesday - Sunday, 10am to 4pm. Entry is free, but donations are welcomed.
