Woodland Heritage has launched a new initiative, Open Woods & Workshops, which will bring the benefits of the UK’s woodlands and workshops to many.
Throughout June 2025, a network of woodlands and workshops – from forestry estates, smaller woodlands and sawmills to artists’ and architects’ studios, furniture factories and makers – will host open days across the UK.
These events offer an exceptional chance to explore rarely accessible places and skills associated with the wonderful trees grown in the UK, and raise funds for Woodland Heritage, helping to grow and support the charity’s wider mission.
Hosts include James Wood and Williams & Cleal in Somerset, The Duchy of Cornwall and Whitney Sawmills in Herefordshire, Albion Timber of Sheffield, makers Gaze Burvill of Hampshire, Treske of Yorkshire and John Makepeace OBE in Dorset, and many more.
Open Woods & Workshops aims to boost engagement in wood culture, growing, milling and making within the UK, as well as help those who grow trees and use wood build connections with others in the timber supply chain. There is also the opportunity to discover more about careers in areas such as forestry and research by meeting industry experts.
John Makepeace OBE, one of Britain’s most influential designer-makers, commented: “Can you imagine life without trees in our landscape? Trees stand as beacons of our commitment to future generations. Woodland Heritage advances the planting and management of trees, vital to nature, our wellbeing, and as a sustainable source of the world’s most beautiful materials. Initiatives like Open Woods & Workshops are so important to promote British grown wood as a resource for current and future generations of craftspeople.”
