A weekend of woodland adventure and activity is planned for Windermere this weekend.
Based in the grounds of Stott Park Bobbin Mill near Newby Bridge, the Woodland Crafts and Tales event will feature workshops in traditional crafts, storytelling, and information about the importance of trees, on Friday and Saturday.
The most spectacular feature will be an “earthburn”, a charcoal-making fire which will be kept going overnight by the Coppice Association and its volunteers.
Organised by Windermere Reflections in association with English Heritage, the weekend will have fun and facts for all the family. Craftworkers will help the public make besom brooms, artist’s charcoal, and hazel flowers, whilst hearing stories inspired by the woods and mill.
Amanda Luxmoore, project officer for Windermere Reflections, said that the event was organised to highlight the importance and value of trees, especially in the Windermere catchment area.
“We want to focus on the benefits of trees for biodiversity, mitigating flooding, and reducing run off and erosion, as well as highlighting the livelihoods involved in sustainable forestry, such as coppicing, traditional industries and crafts,” she said.
Volunteers will camp on the site to maintain a vigil at the earthburn, as the controlled fire needs to be kept covered with turf to keep out air in making charcoal.
The free event starts on Friday June 13 and activities will be held throughout the weekend. It will also be possible to tour the bobbin mill and usual tour and parking charges apply. Stott Park bobbin mill is one of the few surviving and preserved working museum mills in the country which once provided the bobbins to the spinning and weaving industry in Lancashire.
Windermere Reflections is a £1.69 million Heritage Lottery funded programme (running until August this year). The programme’s projects are about helping everyone get a better understanding of environmental issues affecting the Windermere catchment and making a positive difference to the way it is managed by getting communities involved.
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