Coppice Oratory at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition

A piece from the Coppice Oratory, a contemplative timber structure nestled deep within Kings Wood in the Kent Downs National Landscape, is being showcased at this year’s Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. Designed by architectural practice Tchonova + la Roi, the Oratory is built from sustainably coppiced sweet chestnut sourced locally and rises over four metres high. It is carefully aligned to frame the first distant view of Canterbury Cathedral from the North Downs Way, providing a moment of rest and reflection for walkers and modern pilgrims.

The exhibition presents a partial mock-up of the as-built structure alongside a large-format photograph by Valerie Bennett, capturing the Oratory’s seamless integration with its woodland surroundings. This work embodies a dialogue between rural craftsmanship, environmental sensitivity, and architectural precision, resonating with the exhibition’s 2025 theme of “Dialogues.”

Visitors are invited to explore the rich interplay of nature, heritage, architecture, and pilgrimage through this unique example of sustainable woodland craft, and to experience this special piece of Kent Downs heritage firsthand.