Looking after Wilderness Wood.   |   What is there to do?   |  What is there for children? 

 What about food and drink?    |    Is it just a summer place?    

   What kind of wood is it?    |   Who owns Wilderness Wood?    

Looking after

Wilderness Wood

• Wilderness Wood has probably been productive woodland for over 2000 years, and may have never been cleared. We aim to manage it sustainably to the highest  environmental standards.  We examine every aspect of life at the wood, from the impact of the work vehicles to the waste produced in the kitchen, with the aims of reducing detrimental effects and promoting a better understanding of the woodland and the wider environment.

• Please take away your picnic rubbish and recycle if possible. Use the recycling bins at the entrance to the wood.

• Wilderness Wood has won the Green Tourism Gold award, has been recognised as a Centre of Excellence by the Forestry Commission and has been awarded the Duke of Cornwall’s Award for Forestry and Conservation and won the international Tourfor Award for sustainable tourism in forests.

What is there to do?

• Follow the trails, or explore the many tracks and paths.  There's a ¾ mile woodland trail, with a leaflet about the wood and its wildlife; a trail leaflet for the ¼ mile easy-access path; a special springtime bluebell path and autumn chestnut trail.

• Enjoy the views southwards to the South Downs, and talk to the sheep and lambs.

• In the timber barn, learn from the displays about growing and using wood.

• Watch work under way in the wood, yard or workshop. 

• Buy wood products grown and made in the workshop (see Garden Catalogue for more details).

• Browse the souvenir shop, which includes many local wood products.

• Come to some of the many events held throughout the year.

• See Visiting Wilderness Wood for prices and location map.

What is there for children?

• Wilderness Wood is a place where children can let off steam safely, explore, build camps, enjoy the adventure play area.

• There are a "discovery" versions of the woodland trail and easy-access path, a trail quiz, and seasonal spotter sheets.

• It's very popular for birthday parties – see groups and parties and there are lots of holiday activities - see events.

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What about food and drink?

• There are picnic places, and BBQ stands to hire.

• You can buy hot and cold drinks, Sussex cakes and ices, rolls and ploughman's lunches, to enjoy in the barn or tea garden, with the emphasis on local produce. There’s hot soup and a log fire in the barn on chilly days.

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Is it just a summer place? 

• Wilderness Wood is open every day throughout the year, with reduced admission prices from November to February. See Visiting Wilderness Wood

• It's perhaps at its most beautiful in spring, with fresh green leaves, carpets of wood anemones followed by bluebells, and a chorus of birdsong.

• It's cool and shady on a hot summer's day, with striking foxgloves in the coppiced areas.

• In autumn, there's autumn colour in the trees, colourful toadstools underfoot, and chestnuts to collect on a special trail.  See events for details of fungus hunts and courses.

• December is one of the busiest months, with the Christmas tree harvest.  It’s a popular place for a brisk walk and tea on a fine winter’s day.

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What kind of wood is it?

• The wood is in a south-facing valley with lovely views across wooded hills towards the South Downs.

• Wilderness Wood is an ancient wood, and has two Roman “bloomery” sites where iron was smelted.

• Over half is sweet chestnut coppice, still cut in the traditional way, so that you see coppice at all stages from newly-cut to 20 years old.

• There are stately pine plantations, and younger trees that were planted after the 1987 storm.

• A 1 acre Christmas tree plantation is very popular for cut- or dig-your-own, and has one of the best views and some of the best bluebells.

• There are about 25 kinds of tree in the wood, varying in frequency from sweet chestnut (thousands) to hornbeam (two, as far as we know)

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Who owns Wilderness Wood?

• Wilderness Wood has been owned and run by Chris and Anne Yarrow since 1980.  They give equal weight to producing useful wood and timber, welcoming visitors for enjoyment and education, and conserving the wood’s wildlife and other resources.

• Chris is a chartered forester and Anne trained in geography and conservation.  They live at the wood, and built the house, barn, workshop and all the other developments at the wood.  They are assisted by graduate assistants,  woodsmen, a carpenter, secretaries and several part-time and temporary staff.

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