Autumn Woodland Foraging

Autumn is upon us, and the leaves on the trees are beginning to change colour and fall. But that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing to forage. In fact autumn is a great time of year for foraging, as it’s when the nuts and berries on hedgerows and in woods begin to ripen. Just remember to always forage responsibly by following the responsible foraging guidelines.

Beech nutsFrom the end of September and well into October, keep an eye out for Beech nuts. …

Christmas Trees

Come and choose a real Christmas tree supplied by local growers.

During December our yard is filled with top-quality trees, which keep their needles because they are really fresh.

We will be open for Christmas trees from December 2 2006 until Christmas Eve, from 9am to 6pm throughout the Christmas tree period.

Choose in the yard from hundreds of freshly cut, dug or potted trees.

Numbers of cut/dig your own are limited to 600, so we recommend you reserve

Garden Furniture

We no longer make all our furniture and most of the wood products in our small workshop here at Wilderness Wood.

Most of our goods are made from sweet chestnut, a very durable wood grown in our own coppices and from local Sussex oak.     We also use some softwood from our wood or other forests managed for a sustainable yield. We do not use any tropical hardwoods.

 

We can design and make goods to order, and deliver

Visiting

The general public is welcome to walk in the wood during cafe opening hours – Wednesday to Sunday, bank holidays and every day in the Norfolk and Sussex school holidays – 9am-5pm.  The cafe serves delicious coffees, home-made cakes and lunches.

We ask you to ‘Pay As You Feel’ for each visit to the wider woodland to contribute to the costs of keeping the woods open to the public – path maintenance, fencing, signage, wind-blow clearance, play equipment and …

Wilderness tyres & ATV , getting stuck in the mud

Not many people get stuck in the mud in their own driveway – but we do! I suppose you should consider us lucky in some respects to have the land, but it sometimes feels like such a burden.

Today Emily our maid got stuck in her huge 4×4 that she sometimes uses, and we had to try digging her out.

Firestone tyres generally speaking are not great, but for some reason their 4×4 tyres are superlative. Grabbers and GT used …

Winter Foraging

Winter is here. That time of year between when the abundance of berries and fruits has passed, and when the new shoots begin to grow in the spring. Even so, there are a few winter fruits and nuts to keep an eye out for. Follow this guide and head outdoors.

 

Not many people are aware of this but you can actually eat ripe acorns. They cannot be eaten raw though, you have to prepare them first.

Beech nuts make …

Springtime foraging

Spring is the start of a new year, and new growth for all kinds of plants. This means that it’s a goldmine for foraging, and will get you will into the mood for it before the bountiful summer comes along. Here are some of the top things that you can forage in spring.

 

Sea beetSea beet

Sea beet is the parent of beetroot and swiss chard, and is more commonly found on pebble beaches just above the tide line. You …

School Visits

  • We are well geared to school visits, with teaching materials and knowledgeable and experienced staff who will create a tailor-made visit for your class.
  • Topic packages to plan your day around specific topics commonly studied at Wilderness Wood.
  • The wood is a marvellous resource for all age-groups, from Reception to A-Level.
  • Teachers’ packs for KS1, KS2, Secondary levels, including subject webs for all National Curriculum subjects at KS1 and KS2, maps, background information, activities and worksheets.
  • Go to links

Slow Broadband

The internet speeds we can get here in the woodland are remarkably slow. You might not even be surprised by that – after all, living in a woodland must have its downsides. Otherwise everyone would do it!

That said, it can always be worse. I was recently reading an article that revealed the ‘slowest street’ in the UK, this seems to be a movable feast. But currently that accolade goes to  Kingsclere in Huntington, York, was identified as having an …