Whales: Giants of the Ocean

Whales are among the largest and most remarkable animals on Earth. These marine mammals live in oceans around the world, from warm tropical waters to the cold seas surrounding the poles.

Life Beneath the Surface

Although whales spend their lives in water, they breathe air through blowholes located on top of their heads. They must regularly return to the surface to breathe before diving again in search of food or traveling through the ocean.

Whales are warm-blooded, give birth to live young, and nurse their calves with milk. A thick layer of fat called blubber helps protect them from cold water and stores energy during long migrations.

Two Main Groups

Whales are generally divided into baleen whales and toothed whales. Baleen whales filter small animals from the water using flexible plates inside their mouths. This group includes blue whales, humpback whales, and gray whales.

Toothed whales use teeth to catch fish, squid, and other prey. Many of them also use echolocation, producing sounds and listening for returning echoes to understand their surroundings. Sperm whales, belugas, and orcas belong to this group.

The Blue Whale

The blue whale is the largest known animal to have ever lived. An adult can grow longer than a city bus and weigh well over one hundred tonnes. Despite its enormous size, it feeds mainly on tiny crustaceans called krill.

Communication and Migration

Whales communicate using clicks, whistles, pulses, and complex songs. Some sounds can travel across great distances underwater. Humpback whales are especially famous for their long, patterned songs.

Many species migrate thousands of kilometres each year. They often feed in cold, nutrient-rich waters before traveling to warmer regions where they mate and give birth.

Protecting Whales

Commercial hunting once caused severe declines in many whale populations. Today, whales also face threats from fishing gear, ship collisions, underwater noise, pollution, and changes to ocean ecosystems.

Conservation programs, safer fishing practices, protected habitats, and international cooperation can help whale populations recover. Protecting whales also supports healthier oceans because these animals play an important role in marine food webs and nutrient cycles.

The post Whales: Giants of the Ocean appeared first on The Wood Place.

As of 1st June 2026 Patrick Baxter sole trader,  trading as The Wood Place, Lanarkshire Hardwoods and Patrick Baxter Furniture,  operating from Girdwoodend Farm, Auchengray,  Carnwath,  Lanark ML11 8LL, ceases trading and property and assets and remaining stock will be sold off or transferred to the new business,  Patrick Baxter Limited, cabinetmaker & antique restorer, operating from Bethany Hall, 29A High Street, Biggar ML12 6DA.

The new business will return to concentrating on the core parts of the business, woodworking tuition,  cabinetmaking and antique restoration.  Tuition will become the main focus, followed by restoration.  Cabinetmaking will be limited to occasional small scale projects.

The post The Wood Place ceases trading 01/06/26 appeared first on The Wood Place.

We are offering a 27% off everything sale in honour of our 27 years completed selling hardwood from 1999 to date.

The premises are still for sale but regardless we are closing down operations at Girdwoodend, The Wood Place, at the end of our current financial year, May 31st, as we are already setting up the new version of the business in the new premises we have located in the nearby market town of Biggar.  Unfortunately selling wood will come to an end to all but our future woodworking tuition participants and club members.  Any wood unsold at end of May will go into the stock for the new business which will be Patrick concentrating on woodwork tuition with some traditional antique restoration and a little cabinetmaking.

The pics attached show some of the wood available currently.

The sale will be for callers to the premises only and collections – not web orders or deliveries.

Shop opening times through May are Saturdays 10-2 and all other days of the week by appointment – whatsapp Patrick on 07748 638214 or email patrick@thewoodplace.com.  Most days are available for visiting, but largely only at the beginning or end of the day.

We also have lots of woodworking machinery and sawmilling and kilning kit plus vehicles for sale that ideally we will dispose of  to suitable buyers over the next year – come and see or ask for our schedule of assets.  The sawmills are being sold through our Forestor sawmills agent Jim Sharp.  Most of the kit is 3 phase electric, or diesel.

Patrick Baxter

The Wood Place / Lanarkshire Hardwoods

Girdwoodend Farm

Auchengray

Carnwath

Lanark

ML11 8LL

The premises are still for sale but we are closing down anyway at the end of our current financial year, May 31st as we are already setting up the next place in Biggar.  Unfortunately selling wood to the public will come to an end.  Any wood unsold at end of May will go into the stock for the new business concentrating on woodwork tuition.

The post CLOSING DOWN SALE at The Wood Place MAY 2026 appeared first on The Wood Place.

For 2026 we will be offering a more flexible range of opening times by special appointment with Patrick –

please email patrick@thewoodplace.com or alternatively you can whatsapp his mobile which is not published online but is on all invoices for previous customers and on all previous email correspondence.

Days available could be any day of the week to suit both parties.

We only ask that you adhere as closely as possible to the arranged day and time and keep in touch if running late.

We will continue to offer for the time-being a drop-in slot of SATURDAY 10 – 2 when there is no need to make an appointment.

The post New 2026 Opening Hours for the Wood Shop at The Wood Place appeared first on The Wood Place.

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Quantity: 7 boards / 7 products

Lengths : 87 cm to 155 cm

Widths (average) : 33 to 61 cm

Thicknesses : 4.5 to 6 cm

Edge type :   Double Waney Edge

Price Range : £75 to £300 each product inc vat

View all now while those that remain in stock here,  as of the current date of your viewing : https://www.thewoodplace.com/shop/latest-products

Alternatively find them here, along with some similar ones possibly : https://www.thewoodplace.com/shop/?filter_wood-type=cherry

If you are viewing this post long after the boards have sold and been removed from the shop pages, you may still be able to get to the original detailed product listings by entering the tree number or product code in the search box.  The relevant tree number(s) in this case is :  1554A, 1659B

Pictures of some of the boards and typical features in this batch:

CHERRY Natural Waney Edge Slab Surface Planed Finish Hardwood Board 1659B-8 Thickness 5cm Kiln Dried Seasoned Live Edge Offcuts Coffee Tabletops Desks Wildwood Wallart

CHERRY Natural Waney Edge Slab Planed Finish Hardwood Board 1659B-4 Thickness 4.5cm Kiln Dried Seasoned Live Edge Offcuts Coffee Tabletops Desks Wildwood

CHERRY Natural Waney Edge Slab Planed Finish Hardwood Board 1659B-4 Thickness 4.5cm Kiln Dried Seasoned Live Edge Offcuts Coffee Tabletops Desks Wildwood

CHERRY Natural Waney Edge Slab Milled Finish Hardwood Board 1554A-5 Thickness 6cm Kiln Dried Seasoned Live Edge Offcuts Coffee Tabletops Desks Wildwood Wallart

The post The Wood Place NEW STOCK 9th November 2025 CHERRY Natural Waney Edge Boards  Planed Finish Hardwood Thickness 4.5 to 6cm Kiln Dried Seasoned Live Edge Coffee Tabletops Desks Wildwood Wallart appeared first on The Wood Place.

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Quantity: 7 boards / 7 products

Lengths : 74 cm to 200 cm

Widths (average) : 21 to 44 cm

Thicknesses : 4.5 to 5 cm

Edge type :   Single Waney Edge and Double Waney Edge

Price Range : £50 to £400 each product inc vat

View all now while those that remain in stock here,  as of the current date of your viewing : https://www.thewoodplace.com/shop/latest-products

Alternatively find them here, along with some similar ones possibly : https://www.thewoodplace.com/shop/?filter_wood-type=yew

If you are viewing this post long after the boards have sold and been removed from the shop pages, you may still be able to get to the original detailed product listings by entering the tree number or product code in the search box.  The relevant tree number(s) in this case is :  1587, 1589, 1592, 1595

Pictures of some of the boards and typical features in this batch:

YEW Single Waney Edge Slab Planed Finish Hardwood Board 1595-1-1 Thickness 4.8cm Kiln Dried Seasoned Live Edge Shelves Mantels Wildwood

YEW Natural Waney Edge Slab Planed Finish Hardwood Board 1587-2A Thickness 5cm Kiln Dried Seasoned Live Edge Furniture making CoffeeTableTops Decorative Wildwood Board

YEW Natural Waney Edge Slab Planed Finish Hardwood Board 1589-7 Thickness 4.5cm Kiln Dried Seasoned Live Edge Furniture making CoffeeTableTops

The post The Wood Place NEW STOCK 4th November 2025 YEW Single and Double Waney Edge Boards Planed Finish  Thickness 5cm Kiln Dried Seasoned Live Edge Shelves Fire Surrounds Mantels Coffee Tabletops and general Furniture Making appeared first on The Wood Place.

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Quantity: 11 boards / 11 products

Lengths : 100 cm to 202 cm

Widths (average) : 15 to 27 cm

Thicknesses : 8 to 9.8 cm

Edge type :   Single Waney Edge and Square Edge Planed All Round

Price Range : £75 to £250 each product inc vat

View all now while those that remain in stock here,  as of the current date of your viewing : https://www.thewoodplace.com/shop/latest-products

Alternatively find them here, along with some similar ones possibly : https://www.thewoodplace.com/shop/?filter_wood-type=beech

If you are viewing this post long after the boards have sold and been removed from the shop pages, you may still be able to get to the original detailed product listings by entering the tree number or product code in the search box.  The relevant tree number(s) in this case is :  1224A

Pictures of some of the boards and typical features in this batch:

BEECH PAR Planed All Round Square Edge Planed Finish Hardwood Board 1224A-14L Thickness 9.8cm Kiln Dried Mantel Shelf

The post The Wood Place NEW STOCK 20th October 2025 SPALTED BEECH Single Waney Edge Slab and Square Edged PAR Planed Finish  Thickness 8 to 10cm Kiln Dried Seasoned Live Edge Shelves Fire Surrounds Mantels appeared first on The Wood Place.

• WE WILL BE CLOSED ALL JULY – the premises shop for wood sales and the workshops for courses.

• ONLINE WOOD ORDERS AS NORMAL – NO DELAYS.  Pre-paid online orders can be collected – contact us for an appointment window.

• office enquiries will be answered as normal – email always best.

• Last day the wood shop is open is Saturday 28th June,  10-2;  it  reopens Saturday 2nd August 10am.

• We may be able to open by appointment for anyone that is desperate for wood – contact us to find out if we are available. If you are a regular wood customer you should have Patrick’s mobile; or email us.  

• Friday & Saturday Wood Club will recommence 1st & 2nd August.

The post The Wood Place Summer Holidays 2025 appeared first on The Wood Place.

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Quantity: 22 boards / 16 products

Lengths : 95 cm to 200 cm

Widths (average) : 11 to 26 cm

Thicknesses : 7 cm

Edge type :   Single Waney Edge and Square Edge Planed All Round

Price Range : £40 to £300 each product inc vat

View all now while those that remain in stock here,  as of the current date of your viewing : https://www.thewoodplace.com/shop/latest-products

Alternatively find them here, along with some similar ones possibly : https://www.thewoodplace.com/shop/?filter_wood-type=beech

If you are viewing this post long after the boards have sold and been removed from the shop pages, you may still be able to get to the original detailed product listings by entering the tree number or product code in the search box.  The relevant tree number(s) in this case is :  1558A

Pictures of some of the boards and typical features in this batch:

SPALTED BEECH Single Waney Edge Slab Planed Finish Hardwood Board 1558A-16B Thickness 7cm Kiln Dried Seasoned Live Edge Wildwood Shelves Fire Surrounds Mantels

The post The Wood Place NEW STOCK 29th May 2025 SPALTED BEECH Single Waney Edge Slab and Square Edged PAR Planed Finish Hardwood Board 1558A-24B Thickness 7cm Kiln Dried Seasoned Live Edge Shelves Fire Surrounds Mantels appeared first on The Wood Place.

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Quantity: 16 boards / 16 products

Lengths : 108 cm to 267 cm

Widths (average) : 45 to 100 cm

Thicknesses : 5.5, mostly 6, some 7 cm

Edge type :   Double Waney Edge

Price Range : £250 to £2075 each product inc vat

View all now while those that remain in stock here,  as of the current date of your viewing : https://www.thewoodplace.com/shop/latest-products

Alternatively find them here, along with some similar ones possibly : https://www.thewoodplace.com/shop/?filter_wood-type=ash&filter_edge-type=double-waney-edge&filter_thickness=5-0-10-0cm

If you are viewing this post long after the boards have sold and been removed from the shop pages, you may still be able to get to the original detailed product listings by entering the tree number or product code in the search box.  The relevant tree number(s) in this case is :  1654A, 1647A, 1647B

Pictures of some of the boards and typical features in this batch:

RIPPLE FIGURED OLIVE ASH Natural Waney Edge Slab Milled Finish Hardwood Board 1647A-12 Thickness 6cm Kiln Dried Seasoned Live Edge Desks Wildwood Dining Tabletops

RIPPLE FIGURED OLIVE ASH Natural Waney Edge Slab Milled Finish Hardwood Board 1647A-11 Thickness 6cm Kiln Dried Seasoned Live Edge Desks Wildwood Dining Tabletops

RIPPLE FIGURED OLIVE ASH Natural Waney Edge Slab Milled Finish Hardwood Board 1647B-9 Thickness 6cm Kiln Dried Seasoned Live Edge Desks Wildwood Dining Tabletops Coffee Tabletops Wallart

RIPPLE FIGURED OLIVE ASH Natural Waney Edge Slab Milled Finish Hardwood Board 1647B-5 Thickness 6cm Kiln Dried Seasoned Live Edge Desks Wildwood Dining Tabletops Coffee Tabletops Wallart

ASH Natural Waney Edge Slab Milled Finish Hardwood Board 1654A-2 Thickness 6cm Kiln Dried Seasoned Live Edge Desks Wildwood Dining Tabletops Coffee Tabletops

ASH Natural Waney Edge Slab Milled Finish Hardwood Board 1654A-12 Thickness 6cm Kiln Dried Seasoned Live Edge Desks Wildwood

The post The Wood Place NEW STOCK 11th February 2025 RIPPLE FIGURED OLIVE ASH appeared first on The Wood Place.