A Field Weekend in Herefordshire
Woodland Heritage invites members and guests to attend the annual Field Weekend
on Friday 21 and Saturday 22 June.
Members and guests gather beneath the Queen Elizabeth Oak at Cowdray Park, during the Field Day 2023. Photograph by Georgina Colman.
What’s the plan?
Attendees will have the opportunity to visit Whitney Sawmills for a tour with the Sawmill Manager, and view an exhibition of makers using Whitney Timber.
We will host An Evening with Woodland Heritage, a social event with informal dinner in central Hereford. Members will have the opportunity to meet, discuss and hear from the Chief Executive of Woodland Heritage.
On Saturday members and guests will tour historic wood pasture Moccas Park and enjoy a guided walk around an active forestry site.
All are invited to Moccas Village Hall at 12 noon on Saturday to eat picnic lunches and to compare notes.
The AGM will be held at Moccas Village hall at 1 pm on Saturday.
While there is no formal visit planned for Sunday, we will provide a list of superb venues to visit in Herefordshire to help you to make the most of being in this wonderful part of the world.
You can find a full itinerary below.
Please note:
Members can attend the field weekend daytime events for free, but will need to purchase a ticket for the Friday evening event.
Members may also purchase guest tickets at the same time as their own registration.
Non-members are welcome to sign up for a guest ticket.
The cost for guest day tickets for the weekend will be £15.
Tickets for the evening event are priced at £20 for all attendees.
Full Itinerary
Friday 21 June - Day
Tours of Whitney Sawmills with Dermot Doyne, Sawmill Manager and exhibition of makers.
Based in Herefordshire, Whitney Sawmills is well established as a leading British sawmill. For many years they have supplied fresh sawn Oak and Douglas Fir beams as well as air- and kiln-dried timber including Oak, Ash, Sweet Chestnut, Sycamore, Cherry, Elm and Poplar.
Whitney Sawmills are also renowned for providing unusual and specialist hardwoods and softwoods in demand for particular restoration projects as well as furniture making and house-building. For example, timber from Whitney Sawmills has been selected for restoration work in both HMS Victory and the King’s dining room in Edinburgh Castle.
Whitney Sawmills is part of Woodland Heritage. This vital business boosts the domestic supply of hardwood timber, maintains skills we need for our future, employs skilled and passionate people, and maintains a vital resource for productive woodlands.
Photos from Mowat & Co., ©EllieWalpole
As space is limited at the sawmill we will ask attendees to choose between visit times of 9.30 am and 1.30 pm.
Parking on the site is limited and we will ask visitors to car share where possible. We will allow 2 hours for the tour, and will allow time afterwards for viewing the exhibition.
Friday 21 June - An evening with Woodland Heritage
Left Bank, Hereford, from 6 pm
Set in the heart of historic Hereford City, the Left Bank venue overlooks the Wye River and is a stone’s throw from the cathedral.
At 6.30 pm there will be a presentation from Chief Executive John Orchard with the latest news from the Charity and plans for the year ahead.
At 7.30 pm there will be an informal hog roast dinner. Following which, guests are welcome to stay to enjoy the company of fellow members, guests and Woodland Heritage trustees and staff. You can see the evening dinner menu here.
This evening will be a ticketed event. Tickets will be £20 to include dinner. Tickets will be available to buy when you register to attend.
Photos from Left Bank Village, Hereford
Saturday 22 June
Moccas Park, Herefordshire, tour with Tom Simpson, Senior Reserve Manager, Natural England
Moccas Park is one of the largest and most diverse examples of wood pasture remaining in Britain.
Woodland visit - to be confirmed
Attendees will visit the two sites above in separate groups to accommodate numbers on the sites.
Photos from Natural England
All are invited to Moccas Village Hall from 12 to 2 pm to eat picnic lunches and to compare notes.
At 1 pm the Annual General Meeting will be held.
Attendees are asked to bring their own lunch and any other refreshments needed for this day. Tea and coffee facilities will be available at the hall.
The AGM
The Woodland Heritage Annual General Meeting will be held at 1 pm on Saturday 22 June at Moccas Village Hall, Moccas, Hereforshire.
Photograph by Georgina Colman
The full AGM notice will be posted below when available. Please check back prior to the event. This will also be emailed to event attendees. This notice will also include a proxy vote form for those who require one.
At the AGM the minutes from the 2023 AGM will be adopted. The minutes from 2023 will be posted here when available.
Becoming a member
We would encourage anyone interested in attending to become a member of Woodland Heritage to support the charity. You can find a link below to sign-up for membership.
Photograph by Georgina Colman