Woodfair South West 
Woodfair South West:
‘Tis the Wonderful World of Wood.
Woodfair South West promotes the wide variety of industries, skills and products associated with our woodlands. From forestry to furniture, timber to turning Woodfair South West enables companies and individuals working with wood to promote themselves and their products to the public.
As well as acting as a ‘marketplace’ for companies and individuals, Woodfair South West is also an important means of communicating to local people and visitors the significant economic, social and environmental values wood and woodlands contribute to the South West’s economy and quality of life.
Here are a few things you might be surprised to learn: 
- After food, timber is the UK’s second biggest import
- The South West has 210,000 hectares of woods and forests
- Timber Production is currently worth £150m a year
- 47% of the regions woods and forests provide public access
- The economic value of the 32 million trips made a year by local people to woods and forests is £90 million
- The economic value of the 10 million trips made a year by tourists to woods and forests is £120 million
- Combined value of all woodland products and services in the region is more than £500 million a year
Woodfair South West, and its events, offers previously unavailable and much-needed support and marketing opportunities to the timber and wood-related industries. It has significantly raised awareness of this important rural sector to tens of thousands of people by providing an entertaining and educational event for adults and children.
NEXT EVENT: Woodfair South West is off to Taunton
Come and join us on Saturday 30 June and Sunday 1 July
Witness the wonderful world of wood!
Visitors will be able to see why shire horses are still one of the most effective means of logging; they can learn why wood is an efficient and alternative source of fuel and they’ll be able to admire the traditional crafts and skills from a wide range of woodfolk. We will also be showing examples of diversification; in the past we have erected log cabins, set up mountain bike circuits and encouraged people to hide in the trees and ‘shoot’ each other with laser-guns!
Jim Skelton, the director of South West Forest, says most people don’t realise the significance of wood and timber to the region:
“There is an incredible range of businesses and individuals working with wood across the south west from craftsmen to foresters. Woodfair South West is a chance for them to show people the true value of our trees.”
Holding an event in Taunton will give us the opportunity to support wood producers and craftsmen in a different part of the region and promote ourselves and our exhibitors to a new audience. And we are looking forward to trying some exciting new ideas:
We want to see an area at Taunton Woodfair devoted to wood-related renewable energies, supported by a series of presentations explaining the significant role woodfuels and biofuels have in the provision of the UK’s future energy. The Government wishes to see the South West establish itself as the country’s premier region for renewables and at the forefront of national, and international, research and development. We believe that Woodfair South West can help to play its part by promoting biofuels and raise awareness of this emerging, and significant, sector of the economy.
We also aim to have an area devoted to cider. We think, given the current resurgence in cider, this would be very popular! It would illustrate the heritage of orchards, their (past, present and future) economic significance and current efforts to re-establish and revive orchards throughout the Westcountry.
If you have any ideas of what you would like to see at the Taunton Woodfair or would like to take part then contact Caroline or Julie on 01409 221896. Visit www.woodfairsouthwest.co.uk for more information and other events.
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