On Thursday, 2nd April 2026, the charity Woodland Heritage launched Open Woods & Workshops, a network of woodlands and workshops hosting open days across the UK throughout June 2026. The initiative enables over 1,000 attendees to see first-hand the role trees and timber can have in our future.
From Aberfeldy, Scotland, down to Dorset, England, there are forestry estates and woodlands, scientists and sawmills, artists and architects, furniture factories, makers and beyond. Some spaces are open to visitors all day. Other places will host small group tours.
Open Woods & Workshops visitors can see one of the world’s largest climate change experiments, go behind the scenes with world-famous furniture makers, walk with foresters through ancient and productive woodlands, learn about growing timber for cricket bats, and glimpse the future of trees and timber with design, making and forestry educators.
Hosts include: Duchy of Cornwall, John Makepeace Furniture, the Architectural Association at Hooke Park, Gaze Burvill, The King's Foundation - Snowdon School of Furniture, Hulls Mill Farm, Goldfinger, Another Country, Young & Norgate, OTZI, North Eggardon Farm, Broomhill Woods, Katie Walker Furniture, English Woodlands Timber, Matthew Cox, Birmingham Institute of Forest Research, Cothelstone Estate, National Trust Ashridge, Treske, Whitney Sawmills, Angus Ross, Glandy Cross Wood, Artichoke, Joss Stoddart, James Wood, Williams & Cleal furniture school, West's of East Dean, Hazel Woodland Products, Albion Timber, National Trust Wallington, King & Webbon, Crutchley Farms, Great Park, Alder and South Sowdens Woods and Trefusis Estate!
Thanks to
National Lottery players
Open Woods & Workshops is part of the Woodland Heritage Skills project and is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to conserve and promote sustainable productive woodland management skills in the UK. The project strengthens the skills, networks, supply chains and processes required for a thriving UK wood culture, whilst raising awareness of the risks of losing these skills, and the benefits of upscaling them.
The charity’s Chief Executive, John Orchard said: “By showcasing sustainable productive woodland and workshops the initiative highlights the critical need for homegrown timber, more productive woodland and the preservation of vital skills, jobs and places.”
Although the importance of planting trees and protecting ancient woodlands has been accepted by many, the importance of growing trees and using our homegrown timber is less well understood. The fact that the UK is the second largest net importer of forest products in the world1 whilst huge areas of our woodlands lie unmanaged2, is a huge missed opportunity for our response to climate change.
John concluded: “The stakes for future generations are high and we must act now! So I am endlessly grateful to National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the truly amazing hosts and to Gaze Burvill and the initiative’s other matched funders.”
Find an event near you in June 2026 by clicking below.