Going, going, gone - At this year’s National Forest Wood Fair

A wooden gavel and the auctioneer’s cry will bring this year’s National Forest Wood Fair to a ringing finale on August Bank Holiday Monday 25 August, at Beacon Hill Country Park in Leicestershire.

For the first time, a selection of the best items from top craftsmen and timber suppliers will go under an auctioneer’s hammer and visitors to the Wood Fair could find themselves taking home a bargain.

Nick Fell, Forestry Manager for Leicestershire County Council, has organised the auction, which is a new feature at the annual National Forest Wood Fair. Nick said: ‘There’s always plenty of top quality crafted wooden products to buy at the Wood Fair, whether you need something for the garden or home, or want something decorative or useful. This year we have asked the exhibitors and demonstrators to bring along something extra special to make the auction a bit of fun but with some fine pieces to bid for. All the items will be on display throughout the day at the Wood Fair, to give everyone a chance to see what they want to bid for later in the afternoon. There will be furniture, craft work, tempting pieces of timber for the woodworkers, plus the chainsaw carving produced on the day by top chainsaw sculptor Andrew Frost.’

The auction will start at 3.30 and will run with a system of bidding lollypops. Auctioneer John Young of Youngs Tree Surgery, Asfordby, will take charge of the proceedings and gallop through with his gavel to bring the auction to an end by 4.30 pm.

Get along to the Wood Fair and enjoy a great day out with activities for all the family, delicious locally sourced food and drink, and see how a tree progresses from the seed to the sawmill. Discover more about all the exciting things to see and do in and around The National Forest.

The Wood Fair is organised by the National Forest Company and Leicestershire County Council. It will run from 10am - 5pm on Bank Holiday Monday 25 August. Admission charges include car parking and a programme and will cost adults £6, concessions £4 and a family ticket £14 (for two adults and two children).

Beacon Hill Country Park lies within the ancient Forest of Charnwood and is close to the attractive village of Woodhouse Eaves, just five minutes drive from Junctions 22 or 23 of the M1. The Country Park, owned and managed by Leicestershire County Council, with its craggy summit and panoramic views, is just one of the many visitor attractions across the three counties that make up The National Forest.

For more information visit leics.gov.uk/woodfair or nationalforest.org.