Record numbers attend National Forest Wood Fair

Record crowds delighted exhibitors and organisers at the National Forest Wood Fair on Bank Holiday Monday. Over 3,300 people from all over the Midlands flocked to this, the fourth annual Wood Fair, and enjoyed a fine day to celebrate trees, timber and woodland, in the spectacular National Forest setting of Beacon Hill Country Park in Leicestershire.

A wide choice of activities and craft demonstrations kept visitors busy all day: hewing tent pegs with Funky Monkey Rustic Carpentry, watching expert pole lathe turning with Greenwood Days, fire-making and learning about bushcraft survival techniques with Woodland Ways or moulding clay hedgehogs on the Eco Art stand.

Up on the tree top canopy ride, passengers were treated to a bird’s eye view of the site, where they could see the timber-logging horses Bruno, Silent and Mystic attracting crowds wherever they went, and hear the drumbeats of the Wild Man of the Woods drifting up through the oak trees.

One visitor commented: ‘This is my first visit to the National Forest Wood Fair and it is even better than I expected. All the stands are practical, informative or beautiful – and many are all three!’

Dinah Nichols, Chair of the National Forest Company said: ‘The Wood Fair is going from strength to strength and we are delighted with the turnout. As well as being a great day out, the Wood Fair’s focus on woodland and forestry and all the things there are to see and do in The National Forest means that it fits the bill completely for the many thousands of people who are interested in the natural world and the environment.’

As the day drew to close, there was standing room only for the Grand Auction, a new feature for this year’s Wood Fair. A magnificent owl carved on site during the day by renowned chainsaw sculptor Andrew Frost fetched £300 and a hand made coracle was a bargain at £100.

The National Forest Wood Fair is organised by the National Forest Company and Leicestershire County Council. Beacon Hill Country Park attracts thousands of visitors each year and is one of more than 400 new and established woodlands within the 200 square miles of The National Forest. The Forest is criss-crossed with trails for walking, cycling and horse-riding, with plenty of space for picnicking, bird watching and enjoying the great outdoors.

For more information on The National Forest for days out and short breaks, as well as finding out how the Forest is improving the quality of life for people who live and work here, see Nationalforest.org.