Oak frames, raised to last centuries.
Every Oakley oak frame is designed and cut in our own workshop in Cosby, by carpenters who learned the trade the long way. Mortise and tenon, oak pegs, joints made by hand and raised on site in a day or two. Trading as Oakley Oak Framing, part of Oakley Crafted Construction.
The work we are best known for.
Traditional jointing where it belongs, concealed engineering where the design asks for it.
Oak framing is the discipline that teaches everything else — patience, accuracy, respect for the material. We work in green oak, air-dried oak and reclaimed oak, each suited to different projects, and we recommend what we would choose for ourselves rather than what is easiest to source. Frames are cut in Cosby and raised across Leicestershire and the East Midlands.
From porches to full homes.
Full oak-framed homes
Complete dwellings — frame, envelope and fit-out, all to the same standard.
Oak-framed extensions
Joined to existing buildings to feel inevitable rather than added on. Ideal for period homes.
Garden rooms & studios
Year-round, properly insulated buildings. The most common first oak commission.
Porches & entrances
Often the first frame a client commissions. Rarely the last.
Decorative trusses
Internal frames where the structure itself becomes the feature of the room.
Green, air-dried & reclaimed oak
The right timber for the project, honestly advised from the first visit.
Joints made by hand. Frames raised in a day.
The oldest pegged oak frames in England are over 900 years old, and their joints are still doing what they were made to do.
A frame for a four-bay house takes weeks in the workshop. Then a crane comes to site and it is raised in a day — the clients always come to watch. Mortise and tenon, cut by hand; oak pegs riven from the same stock as the frame; scarf joints made visible because, done well, they are a thing of beauty. If oak is not the right answer for your project or your budget, we will say so on the first visit.
Questions we’re often asked.
How much does an oak frame cost?
Oak is a considered investment and every frame is bespoke, so we price each project individually and set out the budget plainly at the first visit, with no obligation.
What is the difference between green and air-dried oak?
Green oak is freshly sawn and mellows as it seasons in place, and is the traditional choice; air-dried oak is more stable for certain details. We recommend what suits your project, not what is easiest to source.
Do you design and build the frame yourselves?
Yes. Every frame is designed and cut by hand in our own workshop in Cosby, then raised on site, usually in a day or two.
Do oak frames need much maintenance?
Very little. Oak is remarkably durable; the oldest pegged oak frames in England are over 900 years old and still standing.
Tell us what you’re planning.
A few quick questions and we’ll arrange a free site visit — or call us on 0116 202 5557.