19/08/2026
2026
ANNIVERSARY
It’s ten whole years since we opened the doors to our very first show home - St. Michael’s Cottage (new 2026 photos in this post) - located just a few minutes from Border Oak HQ in rural Herefordshire.
And 25 years (a quarter of a century- can you believe it?!) since we designed & built the first ever Pearmain Cottage which featured on Grand Designs (St. Michael’s Cottage is based on this concept). Using, for the first time in a domestic project, a revolutionary new construction & insulation system, to create a quintessential oak framed country cottage that would suit all locations - combining innovative, high performance new products & methods with traditional craftsmanship, natural materials& vernacular detailing to deliver the perfect, adaptable 21st Century home.
Ensuring that the craft of green oak framing - all of our homes are made by hand from the finest & most sustainable oak available- remained both relevant & accessible.
Since 2001 we have designed & built thousands of truly beautiful ‘Pearmain’ cottages all over the world - each one distinct and bespoke, designed by us to meet the wishes of every individual client on all sorts of plots, for all sorts of budgets.
Perhaps most recognisable is the original Pearmain Porch, drawn by our founder John - much copied but never equalled (the porch and the man!) - a striking porch that is distinctly Border Oak. Practical & pretty.
25 years has passed in the blink of an eye - yet the Pearmain portfolio remains a true vernacular classic, each home getting better with every passing year.
There’s more to follow on both Pearmain Cottage & St. Michaels Cottage on our new website - coming soon.