The site’s structures were built from locally grown timber, and guests can participate in log-chopping and woodworking workshops to develop their skills.
If you’re planning on staying in your cozy cabin all weekend, Wilderness Wood may not be the ideal destination for you. While lounging around was initially my preferred activity as a city-dweller, I soon discovered that visitors to this 62-acre site in East Sussex are encouraged to participate in woodworking, woodblock printing, carving sessions, tree walks, or outdoor qigong lessons to help maintain and appreciate the woodland.
Accompanied by my somewhat unwilling 14-year-old son George, I knew that spending six hours patiently carving a spoon was not a viable option. Instead, we opted for a 30-minute introductory session on chopping logs into firewood with a large axe, which seemed more appealing. After two hours of strenuous activity and copious amounts of perspiration, we had exhausted our supply of logs. The experience was absolutely thrilling – the sound of the axe falling silently before the satisfying thud as it strikes the wood is both invigorating and calming. George enjoyed it so much that he had transformed the heap of firewood logs in our cabin into kindling by the end of the weekend.
Wilderness Wood is not merely a holiday destination, but rather a community where two cabins, a campsite, and a few shepherds’ huts are just a fraction of what it offers. On Saturday morning, the central area was bustling with activity, including families participating in two woodworking classes, local “members” taking leisurely walks and enjoying the forest, and volunteers assisting with various tasks around the wood. The woodworking instructor, Kent Thodsen, exuded a calming Zen energy that made me regret my choice not to enroll in his class.
In 2014, Emily Charkin and Dan Morrish, the proprietors, scoured 125 woodland plots across the United Kingdom before settling on the one in the village of Hadlow Down. It was the sole plot that met their requirements for a small-scale building project, including sustainably managed woodland, a combination of mature soft and hardwood timbers, and a valid felling license.
Wilderness Wood functions more as a collective of artists, gardeners, and woodworkers than a conventional holiday retreat. According to Dan, an architect and builder, discovering this location was somewhat of a miracle. The wood had been maintained by a forester for 40 years with the goal of using it to provide wood for a minor construction project. However, the forester had reached the age of 70 and wanted to sell. As a result, when Emily and Dan acquired the property, it had everything they required, including a sweet chestnut coppice for building frames as well as a variety of beech, Scots pine, Douglas fir, cedar, and giant sequoia stands.
