Our Roots
Under the Oak Tree began in a very special place.
A workshop tucked into a paddock beneath an oak tree, reached by walking through the fields, weaving between the animals of the smallholding, welly boots on, wind moving through the grass, weather always present.
Acorns would drop onto the roof of the workshop at just the right moments, as if the oak itself was gently reminding us to slow down, notice, and pay attention.
This was where the magic happened - not in isolation, but woven into the rhythm of everyday life. Paper laid out on tables, pens, pencils, paints. Illustrations and stories all taking shape while the day unfolded around us.
Stories came through sharing. Told aloud rather than written down. Changed and softened as they were passed from one telling to the next. When our grandson came to stay at weekends, those stories found their voice. Tales about the animals that lived under the oak tree slowly gathered into a quiet, magical world shaped by imagination and place.
That world became Thimble Oak Hollow.
Thimble Oak Hollow now lives as its own standalone illustrated world - storybooks, characters, cards, and gifts rooted in woodland and storytelling. As the work grew, it became clear that the way things were being made - slowly, carefully, with attention - could hold more than one voice.
From that natural expansion, Under the Oak Tree grew.
Under the Oak Tree is the wider home - a small illustrative printing and publishing ecosystem where many voices exist together. Illustration, printing, die-cutting, finishing, packing, and posting all happen close to one another, shaped by the same surroundings that inspired the work in the first place.
We make deliberate choices about how our products are presented. Our work is aesthetic-first, design-led, visually distinctive and instantly giftable. Packaging is treated as part of the work itself, not as an afterthought. We try our very best to use as little plastic as possible to protect our environment.
We understand that this way of working will not suit every shop. Our products tend to belong best in spaces where presentation, design and individuality form part of the shop’s core gifting ethos.
'not every tree.. belongs in every woodland'
All of our products are made in-house.
We design, print, cut, finish and assemble everything ourselves using our own professional machinery.
Working this way allows someone from the collective to oversee every stage.
If something isn’t quite right, it gives us the time and space to mend, adjust and improve - allowing the work and us, to keep growing.
These are our roots.
They are real.
And everything we do grows from here.
Giving Back
Because the landscapes that inspire our work matter deeply to us, giving back forms part of how we operate. Funds from wholesale orders are set aside and shared at the end of each year between The Woodland Trust, The Wildlife Trusts and Norfolk Wildlife Trust Nature Reserves, supporting woodland and wildlife habitats across the UK and here in Norfolk.
And that is how our story truly began.
With a 600 moon old woman, her wonderfully gorgeous young oakling grandson and a very old oak tree. Where the first tales of Thimble Oak Hollow unfurled their leaves and reached, slowly and surely, towards the light. And now… as the chapters are read..
Will you step inside and be part of the story of
Under the Oak Tree
Our work spans a wide creative range - from bold, maximalist designs to delicate pencil and minimalist illustrations.
We welcome diverse styles and genres. The main requisites are:
1. to be united by a shared passion for illustration, folklore and woodland themes
2. to be supportive of nature, woodlands and wildlife
If you are an artist interested in working with us or a retailer wishing to stock our products, we would really like to hear from you.
For collaborations or stockist enquiries, please email us.