writing – Wild Fen

Oak Wild Jewellery Collection

June 19, 2026June 20, 2026 Wild Fen

Hello Wild Soul,

I just wanted to tell you a little more about our collection of Oak pendants that will be in store a little later today, Saturday 20th June at 10am.

Do you see the ‘star’ in the centre of this piece?

As I mentioned in our previous post, we have felt so drawn to the stable and grounding energy of the iconic Oak tree in the run up to the Summer Solstice. It feels like the perfect tree ally to work with at a time that can often be filled with intensity, heat and movement.

We have created 5 pieces smoothed from an ancient piece of bone Oak, and I wanted to share a little more with you about what exactly bone Oak is. Let’s dive in…

What is bone Oak?

Oak is known to be one of the strongest and most durable woods in the world, and sometimes they go through processes which make them even stronger.

There is a natural survival strategy that ancient Oak trees will sometimes adopt called ‘retrenchment’. This is where a tree will withdraw their energy from their higher branches, drawing it back down to ensure they nourish the branches closest to their core.

This is the opposite process to when a younger tree is prioritising the growth of its higher branches, expanding out into the world.

You may cross paths with one of these wise old trees and notice old, bare branches that protrude from the top of their canopies. They are sometimes described as ‘stag heads’.

Notice the ‘stag head’ branches on the tree on the right

These special trees remind me that we cannot always pour our energy into everything all at once, and that sometimes, to preserve our energy and maintain our strength, we may need to shed parts of ourselves.

But what has this got to do with bone Oak, I hear you ask? Well, when the outer sapwood of these higher branches dry out through weathering, you are left with the inner heartwood of the tree, which has become ‘as hard as bone’ earning it the name ‘bone Oak’.

We felt very lucky to come across a recently fallen branch of bone Oak and have worked with it to create these pieces. You will notice the deep colour and stunning grains and markings that have evolved in the wood over many years.

We have worked with the wood in different ways for these pieces. We felt called to shape two of them to nestle perfectly into the palm…

We also wanted to celebrate the natural form of the bone Oak, highlighting the indents where the sapwood has worn away and left the inner heartwood. It reminds me that the processes of weathering and change can ignite inner strength…

We hope you love them as much as we have crafting them (we of course made two for ourselves and haven’t taken them off since!)

I hope you all find an Oak to greet this midsummer,

Nic x

Catch up with…

The Summer Solstice and the Oak tree

Find out more about our Wild Jewellery here:

Jewellery

Life, Wheel of the Year, Wild Jewellery

The Summer Solstice and the Oak tree

June 18, 2026June 18, 2026 Wild Fen

Hello Wild Soul,

A lot has been shifting for us since I sent my last newsletter. We are currently getting ready to leave the land which we have been tending to over the past 4 years.

Whilst this wasn’t part of our immediate life plan, the universe seemed to have other ideas and gave us a pretty big nudge to reconsider our life.

At this time of the year especially, it is a hive of activity here, with Swallows, Robins, Dunnocks and Pied Wagtails all raising their young. Goldfinches visit daily to feed on all the seedheads that we leave in their honour, and bees are busy foraging in the clover rich meadow area.

It feels extremely sad to say goodbye to them, but it does bring us some comfort knowing that the land here will remain wild, and that the plants and trees we have nurtured will continue to grow and support the wildlife here.

As for us, we will be moving back into the unknown, for a while at least, but we are excited to see where where we land next. I will keep you updated…

Oak, the tree of Strength and Stability

Whenever life feels unsettled or uncertain such as this, Oak is the tree that I reach to. Often called the king of the forest, Oaks have one of the strongest woods in the world. It is easy to see why they have become a symbol of strength and stability the world over.

Oak trees can live for around 900 – 1000 years and during that time bring stability to the surrounding environment. They provide habitats that support over 2000 different species that nest, shelter and feed within their branches.

It is said, that over the typical lifespan of an Oak tree they spend around 300 years growing, 300 years living/thriving and 300 years dying. And even once an Oak tree has died, their dead wood continues to support life, sometimes even more biodiversity than when they were alive!

Oak and the Summer Solstice

As the heat intensifies at this time of the year, the shade of an Oak tree becomes a very welcomed sight. Sitting beneath an Oak at Midsummer is an enriching experience. You can feel them in their element, buzzing with life, vivid green and growing their acorns, a symbol of fertility and abundance.

Oak Wild Jewellery Collection

As the tree most closely associated with the Summer Solstice, it may come as no surprise, that we have felt called to work with Oak this past couple of weeks.

Here is a sneak peak of some of the stunning patterns to be found in bone Oak, the hard as bone inner heartwood of a windfallen Oak branch we were lucky to discover.

This piece is yet to have its final sand and be oiled so expect the colours to really pop in the finished piece…

We will have 5 bone Oak pendants in store on Saturday 20th June at 10am. I will send out a reminder on Saturday morning, with a first glimpse the finished pieces too….

Solstice Shop Updates

To celebrate the Solstice, we have had our BIGGEST shop update of the year. You will find a seasonal selection of moon pendants and woodland slices that are now in store!

As subscribers, you will receive 20% off any of these pieces now in store. Click on the link below to add the discount to your basket or apply the discount code LITHA20 at the checkout.

Wishing you all a little Solstice magic this week, Nic x

P.s, you may also enjoy:

A Guide to Litha – the Summer Solstice

Litha is coming

A Tale of Two Kings

Midsummer Smoulder Sticks

The Magic of Oak

Life

How did we end up here?

March 25, 2026March 25, 2026 Wild Fen

Hello again Wild Soul.

As it is coming up to 6 years since we first created Wild Fen, I thought it may be a good time to take a trip down memory lane on quite how we arrived here.

In 2019, we were living together in the Fens, and spent our spare time exploring the land around us; watching wildlife, learning about wild plants, foraging and generally immersing ourselves in nature as often as was possible.

Chris was working as a landscape gardener after a 10 year period as a self-taught graphic designer. I was working for a mental health charity, where I supported individuals and groups with their wellbeing. I particularly loved running mindfulness workshops and getting outdoors with people, where I often witnessed their stress levels reduce and their perspective shift or open.

About a year in to our life in the Fens, Chris became really unwell with what was eventually diagnosed as glandular fever, with viral and bacterial tonsillitis. He ended up in hospital unable to eat or drink, struggling to fight the virus and infections. He was off work for about 2 months in total and during these uncertain times, we found ourselves reflecting on our life.

We talked about how much we wanted to travel and to spend more time in nature. We both had the urge to create ‘something’, although what that ‘something’ was, was unclear.

Looking back, his illness was like a catalyst that picked up many of our ‘far off’ dreams and plonked them right at our table to look at more seriously.

A few months later and after much soul searching, we found ourselves pushing send on our resignation emails and giving one month’s notice for leaving our home. Fear and excitement being experienced in equal measure.

It felt wild, reckless in the eyes of some and yet a fire had been lit in us both, to try something different. To take a ‘leap’. We sold our belongings, temporarily moved in with family and set about our search for a van that we could convert into a tiny home.

Wild Fen did not arrive with a clear vision and instead grew the more that we listened and tended to the soil of our lives. It grew from a deepening connection to the land around us and a desire to share that with others.

It grew alongside the herbs that I tended in my Mum’s garden, and wove into smoulder sticks that I made as a gift to family at Christmas, and later shared online just incase anyone may want one.

And over time it has expanded like a network of roots making their way through the earth. The more time that we spend on the land, the more we noticed, observed and felt guided by the wild world around us.

Running a small business has not been without its challenges, and whilst there are aspects of life that feel idyllic, there are plenty that feel overwhelming, uncertain and demotivating at times too.

But we are here, and have thus far at least, found our way around the challenges, just like tree roots pass around the unmoveable rocks hidden within the soil.

If you enjoyed this post, you may enjoy catching up with our journey a little more:

A small business and van living

A Reflection on Van Life

Land Update – A Space to Grow

With love,

Nic x