THE skills of experts in ancient woodcrafts have been fascinating visitors to a centre devoted to conservation.

Steve Betts, Ben Orford and Neil Batty are using medieval techniques requiring axes to produce wooden roof shingles for a bird observatory at the Arboretum Trust, by Castle Howard, near Malton.

The shingles are being made from chestnut grown on the Castle Howard estate and are split and worked using a froe - or dull-axe - to ensure that they are as flat and even as possible.

Shingles are traditionally cleaved from wood such as chestnut or oak as both timbers have a natural resistance to rotting because of the large amounts of tannin they contain.

The bird observatory is being constructed thanks to a donation from a local benefactor and should be completed by the end of the year.

The structure is being built using ancient building skills and almost entirely from timber felled in the Arboretum and the Castle Howard Estate.

l The Arboretum Trust is a joint independent trust formed by The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and Castle Howard estate, to safeguard the future of a collection of woody plants.

When planting began in 1975 the plan was to create one of the most comprehensive collections of hardy woody plants in Europe.

Now, 27 years later, the plant collection is greatly valued for its environmental, conservation, scientific research and educational value. The centre is open on Wednesdays, weekends and Bank Holidays until November 27.