The Wood
Wilderness Wood is a 60 acre community woodland. There is so much going on it is hard to describe in words, but we have two films to help:
A five minute introduction by Drew Smith
A 15 minute documentary account of the story so far: 10 years, 10 buildings, 10,000 volunteers - by Jacob Dormon.
A place to grow: 62 acres of chestnut coppice with stands of beech, scots pine, douglas, cedar, giant sequoia, grassy paddocks, a kitchen garden and a Christmas tree field.
A place to work: since Roman times when the wood was coppiced to provide charcoal for the iron industry. Today we coppice and thin the wood to generate timber for firewood, garden structures and buildings. The wood is the base for Andrew Coates Woodland Products, Helen Squires Rooted Therapy and Dan Morrish Architects.
A place to live: in the early 1980s, the Yarrow family built a home with planning permission attached to working the land. The Morrish family bought the wood in 2014 and live here with their three children. The Reed family also live in the main house and take care of the woods and its community. We also host volunteers of all ages who work at the wood for up to a year in exchange for board and lodging.
A place to visit: the Yarrow family put the wood on the map as a place for schools and families to visit. We continue to welcome visitors and have developed an active community of members of all ages who participate in the stewardship of the woodland and creative projects.
A place to learn: hands-on opportunities to learn practical skills and crafts by getting involved in our regular working parties. We are also a site where many creative and educational enterprises host groups and courses.