The backstory
’10 years, 10 buildings, 10,000 volunteers’ – that’s the title of a documentary about Wilderness Wood released recently to mark the project’s 10th anniversary, and it nicely sums up the journey that Emily Charkin and Dan Morrish have been on since they purchased this 62-acre woodland site in 2014. The chestnut coppice in the heart of the East Sussex countryside, about 20 minutes’ drive from Tunbridge Wells, was already a popular local spot, but when Dan and Emily arrived with their three young children, they had grander ambitions. They wanted to create a sustainable community hub where visitors could learn more about the natural environment and actively take part in the stewardship of the woods.
Over the years, a resident crew of artisans and craftspeople gathered, and the project expanded: a pottery kiln, an outdoor cookhouse and a bathhouse were added – all of these structures built using timber felled in the woods. Wilderness Wood became a place where you could come to stay overnight – first on the campsite, and then in shepherd’s huts or in one of the two treehouses that Dan built with the help of his volunteers. The programme of activities grew as well to include music nights, art workshops, conservation courses and cookouts. A new Health hut offered massages and other holistic therapies. Today, Wilderness Wood welcomes over 30,000 visitors each year, all of them drawn by the energy of this truly unique natural setting.
Look and feel
Biophilic design – where organic patterns and shapes are incorporated into manmade architecture – has become increasingly trendy of late, particularly when discussing sustainable projects. But so much of it is performative: think ‘living walls’ on otherwise high-impact structures. However, there’s no artifice about the buildings at Wilderness Wood, where the connection to the natural environment is intimate and authentic. The stilted cabins are the best example of this, with every part of them handcrafted from materials found in the woodland. There’s a care and attention to detail to their design that sets them apart from the identikit treehouses you often find in the grounds of five-star hotels, and the setting is itself a rare and restorative luxury. The sense of calm you feel as you wake up and light the stove, put the kettle on and gaze out from the balcony across the forested valley, birdsong in the air, is worth the visit alone. This is a back-to-nature stay at its very best. There’s no wi-fi (though you will find it in the main barn, which also serves up delightful snacks and hot drinks during the day) but everything you need in this cosy and well appointed two-bedroom dwelling is there, including a fantastic outdoor fire pit.
Sustainability credentials
At Wilderness Wood, ancient and modern sustainable practices combine in harmonious unison. Since Roman times, the wood has been coppiced to provide charcoal for the iron industry. Today, the felling is continued each year allowing more light to reach the forest floor, which encourages wild flowers to grow and provides sustenance for birds, bees, butterflies and insects. The felled timber is then used for firewood and for Dan’s ongoing building projects, or by local craftsmen whose wares you can purchase on-site. At the same time, a programme of conservation and rewilding activities encourage and support wildlife, most notably in the form of a small apiary, a beaver dam and a bat park. Any visitors to the woodland – including those who stay in one of the low-impact cabins or the campsite – are asked to contribute to the upkeep. This could be as simple an activity as helping to chop firewood or clear away debris, or it might be more involved (see ‘The Eco-USP’ below) . Canopy and Stars, which handles the cabin bookings, also actively rewards visitors for their eco efforts: if you can prove you’ve made your way there using public transport, they’ll give you a £75 voucher for your next stay.
The Eco-USP
The community is the living, beating heart of this place – and it’s a joyful thing to behold. Almost every day, various classes and workshops take place that bring local schools and families down to engage in activities such as green woodworking, morning meditation or family bushcraft sessions. Then, once a month on a Saturday morning, dozens of volunteers descend on the site for what Dan and Emily call ‘Stewardship Saturday’. The idea is to bring together a bigger group to get involved with the care and improvement of the woodland. You could be clearing away brambles or bracken, collecting firewood, or digging a drainage ditch as we did. It’s a soul-enriching experience that’s also educational as you learn about the natural habitat while doing something worthwhile with other like-minded folk. It ends with a group lunch, cooked up from ingredients procured from the vegetable patch or the orchard. There are around 250 member households who do this regularly, and membership gives them various perks, such as free access to the wood for walks and picnics all year round; invites to seasonal celebrations such as May Day and Winter Solstice; and an opportunity to snag a Christmas trees from the dedicated field.
Out and about
Situated in the High Weald, Wilderness Wood is ideal for forest walks – there’s a 45-minute A-Z trail that takes you through the different types of woodland. It’s a visual feast, think bluebells in spring and chestnuts in autumn, which also includes a surprisingly fun tree-swing. Further afield, we’d recommend getting the hiking boots on and heading down the country lanes to Blackboys Inn, a charming countryside pub with inglenook fireplaces and an excellent menu. It takes about an hour to get there, passing by babbling brooks and sunlit meadows. The walk back, after a few local ales, is magically more rapid.
The writer stayed in Yaffle, one of two treehouse for 2 people, with extra space for 2 children. These start from £167 per night; wildernesswood.org; canopyandstars.co.uk/yaffletreehouse
