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Woodland Crafts At Ecclesall Woods Sawmill
Ecclesall Woods Sawmill invites you and your family to come to the woods this spring for a celebration of traditional woodland crafts. Traditional craftsmen and women will be demonstrating the ancient arts of pole-lathe turning, hurdle making and basket weaving to the public. The event will be held in the recently improved woodland crafts area at Ecclesall Woods Sawmill on April 26th -27th from 11am until 4pm. The event is free to all and provides a fantastic opportunity to experience our rich woodland heritage. You can also take advantage of the visit and look around the new Gallery 37, and not least, take a walk in the woods during the spectacular bluebell season.
Ecclesall Woods Sawmill lies in the heart of Ecclesall Woods, just off Abbey Lane, providing a unique location for visitor facilities that link directly to the heritage of this important ancient woodland. The sawmill has recently come back into council ownership and currently provides workshop space for crafts people, visitor and education facilities, and Gallery 37 which provides an outlet for local wood products and crafts. Re-generation of the site is well underway and further improvements are planned over the coming years.
The event is being organised by Alice Midmore who is near completion of her apprenticeship at the Sawmill Site. The apprenticeship is part of the LEMUR scheme (Learning Environment Marine Urban and Rural), which is funded by Heritage Lottery Fund, and hosts trainee conservationists through on-the-job training. Alice has had the opportunity to work alongside the Sheffield City Council Rangers and crafts people of The Working Woodlands Trust at the Sawmill Site and in Ecclesall Woods, and has organised this event to showcase the traditional craft works occurring in the local area.
Please wear sensible outdoor clothing and stout footwear. Everyone is welcome; however children under 16 must be accompanied by a responsible adult. To find out more about the event telephone Alice Midmore on 07832190703.
If you go down to the woods today, it’s out with the old (portacabin!) and in with the new...Gallery 37
The inspiring new Ecclesall Woods Gallery 37 is coming to completion. Linked to the Tree 37 project, the gallery is run by a group of local craftspeople supported by Working Woodlands Ltd. It showcases locally made furniture and sculpture which has proved very popular, especially through events like Open Up. Open at the weekends from 11am- 4pm and seasonally at additional times, this timber-framed gallery has been rebuilt as a stunning sustainable showcase.
Ecclesall Woods Sawmill
Ambitious plans are underway to develop the Ecclesall Woods sawmill site.
The aim is to develop the site in ways that will link it back to the heritage of the woodland and produce sustainable products from Sheffield timber.
Things are at an early stage for the redevelopment of the sawmill site, but ideas include:
- Visitor Facilities - small-scale visitor facilities and information point
- Workshops - workshops for wood-related businesses
- A Retail Outlet - for wood products, such as firewood, Christmas Trees and locally made furniture
- Education & Training - a "gateway" for related education and training programmes
- Ranger Base - a base for ranger staff
And a number of improvements have already been made on site:
- Site Clean Up – we have undertaken a major clean up, improving the health and safety of the buildings;
- Eco-Loo – an award winning composting toilet has been built
- New Signs - have been installed on Abbey Lane;
- Woodchip Energy - woodchips from the site have been used to supply a new woodchip boiler that will be used to heat Sheffield Homes flats in the Gleadless Valley;
- Woodland products several old street trees that had to be felled in the Norton area have into solid woodland benches and sculptures;
- Gallery - a small gallery has opened on the site called Gallery 37, linked to the Tree 37 project to showcase locally made furniture and sculpture;
- Events – a range of public events have been held on the site, including bird box making, traditional woodland craft days and visits from local schools.
For more information about Ecclesall Sawmill please contact:
Ted Talbot on 0114 250 0500
Other Useful links
- Working Woodlands Trust - the Trust aims to encourage greater understanding of woodlands, wood & using wood based products.
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