Events

Wilderness Wood is open every day of the year and there are many special events as shown below.

For most events, booking is essential. The details of each event tell you if you need to book. For events where there is no need to book, just come to the wood during the advertised time.

If you would like to come to a bookable event, please first call to check availability as places are strictly limited.

Make your booking over the phone or call in to the wood. Please pay at the time of booking - either by credit card over the phone, by credit card, cash or cheque in person, or by posting a cheque made payable to "Wilderness Wood" to Wilderness Wood, Hadlow Down, Near Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 4HJ. Places are not reserved until payment is received.

Cancellations: no refund given within two weeks of the event. A £5 admin fee will be charged if cancelled earlier.

Prices for all events include admission to the wood.

Last updated 25th June 2008

Summer 2008

Baby bug hunt (for 3-6 year olds)

How many minibeasts can you find hiding in the wood? Explore the woods and discover who they are and what they do.

Aug 4, 11, 10.30- 11.30am Please book

Child (3-6) £4.50 Adult £3.40

Big bug hunt (for 7-11 year olds)

Search in different areas of the wood for all sorts of creepy-crawlies and find out how they live. Investigate your favourite bug and make a bug book and a model from woodland materials to take home.

Aug 4, 11 10.30am - 12.30pm Please book

Child (7-11) £6.50 Adult £3.40

Fairy Gardens

Find the fairy place and listen to a story about the woodland elves. Make a garden in the woods for the elves and fairies to enjoy, and a wand to take home.

Aug 5, 13, 19 10.30-11.30am & 2 - 3pm Please book

Child (3-6 - adult must accompany) £5.35 Adult £3.40

Castaway

Join an expedition deep into the wood; have fun building shelters and cooking dampers over a camp fire. Bring sausages and a picnic lunch, wear old clothes. Adults welcome to accompany and help.

Aug 6, 15, 22, 26 11.30am - 2.30pm Please book

Child (6-11) £9.85 Adult £3.40 11.30am - 2.30pm

Survive in the Wild

What are the four things you need to survive? Find them in the woods! Hands-on activities to learn and test survival skills.

Aug 7, 12 10am - 12 noon Please book

Child (8-13) £7.15 Adult £3.40

Teddy bears' picnic

An adventure in the summer woods for bears and their owners, with simple games and a woodland picnic. Bring a carrier bag, picnic tea and a bear.

Aug 7, 28 2.45 - 4.15pm Please book

£5.35 per bear (accompanied by child of 3-6) Adult £3.40

Woodland monsters

Go into the dark woods in search of the monster! Listen to his story, get camouflaged with masks to take home, then follow the clues to his hiding place. Accessible to buggies (some rough paths).

Aug 18, 27 (previously advertised as 14th)

10.30 - 11.30am & 2-3pm Please book

Children (3-6 - adult must accompany) £5.35 Adult £3.40

Crafty stuff

Family workshop with artist Lyn Merrick. Be creative with clay, textiles and natural materials, making woodland animals and scenes.

Fri 8, Mon 18 Aug 10am - 12.30pm Please book

Child (6-12) £7.90 Adult £7.90

Moths by moonlight

Meet the night creatures of the wood; includes "sugaring" tree trunks and identifying visitors to a moth light trap. Bring a torch. Includes a hot drink in the bar. With Simon Curson.

Sat 9 Aug 8pm - 9.45pm Please book

Adults £6.95 Concs. £6.05 Child (6-15) £4.40

NEW!

How to survive with grown-ups

Spend a day in the wood learning basic family bushcraft. Can you build a better shelter than your mum or dad? What food can you cook and eat? How do you purify water? Learn how to light your fire without matches or paper.

21 Aug 10am - 4pm Please book

Child (8-15) £20 Adult £35

Woodland explorers

A day of exploration, identification and art, with Lyn Merrick. Hunting for creatures, identifying them using keys and computer software and finding out what is special about them. Dissecting owl pellets, making casts of animal prints and creating graphs, paintings and models of your discoveries to take home.

Wed 27 Aug 10.30am - 3.30pm Please book

Child (6-15) (under 7s accompanied) £16.80 Adult £16.80

Autumn/Winter 2008

Woodland fungi - walks and courses in September and October. Fungus hunts with Anne Yarrow, discovering the world of woodland fungi.

Death or Dinner? Fungus hunts with Anne Yarrow, discovering the world of toadstools. Know your blusher from your stinkhorn and a tasty dinner from certain death!

Sat 27 Sept 10.15am - 12.15pm Please book

Wed 8 Oct 2.15pm - 4.15pm

Sat 25 Oct 10.15am - 12.15pm

Adult £9.00 Cons. £8.00 Child (6-15) £4.75

Fungal fry-up Hunting, identifying and cooking our woodland toadstool harvest. Not suitable for children.

Thur 2 Oct, Sat 18 Oct 10am - 1pm Please book

Adult £18 Concs. £16

Fungi for starters A day getting to grips with mushrooms and toadstools - what they are, how to identify them, which ones are edible. No suitable for children.

Sat 4 Oct, Fri 17 Oct 10am - 4pm Please book

Adult £40 Concs. £35

Follow-up fungus hunt in another Hadlow Down woodland. For those who have been on one of Anne's hunts or know the basics.

Sun 5 Oct 2pm - 4.30pm Please book

Adult £9.00 Concs. £8.00 Child (6-15) £4.75

Family fungus-hunt A special fungus foray for the whole family to enjoy. Especially geared to children

Sun 12 Oct, Mon 27 Oct 2pm - 3.30pm Please book

Adult £6.00 Concs. £5.20 Child (4-15) £3.80

Seed gathering Sunday

Walk in the woods and gather seeds to identify, take home and plant. Part of the Tree Council's Seed Gathering Season.

Sun 28 Sept 10am - 5pm

Usual admission prices; small charge for seed identification and planting guide.

Chestnut celebration. Gather and learn about sweet chestnuts on a special walk through the ancient coppice woodland. Try roast chestnuts, chestnut cake and ice cream. Usual admission prices.

Throughout October 10am - 5pm

Weave and cleave. Learn the basics of willow-weaving and chestnut cleaving. Patient and thorough instruction from Andrew and Dom, and you make two plant supports to take home to your garden (bring secateurs).

Saturday 11 Oct 10am - 4.30pm Please book

Adult £60 Concs. £55 (incl. materials)

Coppice skills. A beginners guide to the craft of coppicing. Learn to cut down poles to make fence stakes, roof shingles and other woodland products, using hand tools. Enjoy tea brewed in the coppicers fire..

Saturday 25 October 1pm - 4pm Please book

Adult £17 Concs. £15

Survive in the Wild

What are the four things you need to survive? Find them in the woods! Hands-on activities to learn and test survival skills.

Oct 28 10am - 12 noon Please book

Child (8-13) £7.15 Adult £3.40

Castaway

Join an expedition deep into the wood; have fun building shelters and cooking dampers over a camp fire. Bring sausages and a picnic lunch, wear old clothes. Adults welcome to accompany and help.

Oct 29 11.30am - 2.30pm Please book

Child (6-11) £9.85 Adult £3.40 11.30am - 2.30pm

Hallowe'en creations. Come into the deep dark woods and make spooky Hallowe'en decorations.

Thurs 30 Oct 10.30-12noon & 2.30-4pm Please book

Children (6-11) £5.75 Adults £3.40

Ghost stories and ghoulish games. Act out a ghost story in the woods and enjoy Chilling Challenges with the Intrepid Theatre Company. Also bonfire, sausage BBQ, apple bobbing and Best-Dressed Ghoul. Café open.

Fri 31 October 5.00-7.00pm Please book

Children (6-11) £9.45 Adults £4.20/£3.70

Prices include hot-dog.

Christmas creations. Make beautiful Christmas decorations from material gathered in the woods.

Mon 22 Dec 10.30-12 noon & 2.15-3.34pm

Tues 23 Dec 10.30-12 noon Please book

Children (6-11) £5.75 Adults £3.40