Kielder Observatory

MH Southern has recently supplied fire retardant treated timbers for the stunning new timber-build observatory at Kielder Water & Forest Park. Designed by London-based Charles Barclay Architects, the observatory will be a flagship project for Northumberland, providing a state-of-the-art facility for specialist astronomers and scientists to analyse the clear night skies over Kielder, with the nearest possible light pollution source some 30km away!

M H Southern supplied over 10m3 of Douglas Fir, together with almost 18m of Whitewood for the project. Much of the Douglas Fir was supplied in large sections for the exterior support columns and to create the cantilever frame of the building, whilst the Whitewood was used for the frame carcassing of the building. All of the timbers were Non-Com® Exterior fire retardant treated.

Lightwater Valley

MHS gets involved with projects as diverse as Douglas Fir Helidecks in the Arabian Gulf and Pitch Pine roller coaster frameworks (pictured opposite) at Lightwater Valley in North Yorkshire.

In recent months we have been involved in a number of other interesting projects. Our timber has been used in the Eurovision Song Contest in Helsinki and the MTV Europe awards in Copenhagen. We have supplied Cedar cladding to the Scilly Isles, Siberian Larch to the Hollytree Hotel, Kentallen, West of Scotland and Douglas Fir to the Pinewood Film Studios and for sea defences on the South coast.

Tyne Bridges

MHS supplied all the longitudinal timber for the King Edward Bridge across the Tyne in Newcastle for the Christmas 2005 engineering work. Furthermore, following the wagon derailment on 10th May 2007 we produced 70 bespoke pieces for delivery on 11th May to assist Network Rail with their emergency work to get the line reopened.

MHS has also supplied Douglas Fir decking for the Swing Bridge in Newcastle (pictured opposite) and timbers used in the machinations of the Gateshead Millennium Bridge.