The Sherwood Forest Trust Woodland Festival 2026!
25th & 26th July 2026
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A weekend of adventure, creativity, and fun!
The Woodland Festival brings together local makers, woodland crafts, family activities, nature talks and much more.
We’re returning to the beautiful Thoresby Park on 25th and 26th July for a magical weekend, with free entry (car park fees apply), this is the perfect family-friendly festival to reconnect with nature, try new skills, and enjoy time outdoors!
New to 2026, we have Benny Shakes’ interactive, eco-themed show Slugageddon! from the Blue Badge Bunch, packed with humour, games, and gardening tips.
You can join foraging walks with Hannah from Kindful and Wild. Get hands-on with sketching with Martin Clarkson, storytelling with the Wild Man of the Woods, and treasure hunts with Hairy Tom’s Forest School.
Try workshops from blacksmithing to willow weaving, watch Peartree Garden Services’ chainsaw carving, or test your aim with archery with the Sherwood Outlaws!Â
There’ll be lots of local market stalls to shop at and food & drink stalls, please bring cash as not everyone will be able to take card payments.
We work hard to keep the festival free and accessible for everyone, and your support helps make that possible.
The Lineup
We have lots to see and do at the Woodland Festival, take a look what’s happening in 2026!
SLUGAGEDDON!
FREE
Can you help Benny defeat the slug army with a piano made of vegetables, some delicious compost and a final showdown with King Slug?
Interactive & multimedia games, plenty of facts about biodiversity and of course, slugs. With some actually really great gardening tips for the grown ups…
Benny Shakes is a comedian, theatre maker and gardener from Nottingham who has Cerebral Palsy. He is the lead performer and creator of critically acclaimed disability awareness game show Blue Badge Bunch.
Hairy Tom’s Forest School
FREE
Meet Hairy Tom.
He’s back with his much-loved forest school tent — always a firm favourite with families at the Woodland Festival.
Make your own leafy crown, hunt for treasure in the woods, have a go at fire starting (safely!), toast some marshmallows on the fire.
What more could you want?
Into WildernessÂ
FREE
Lewis Tingle, founder of Into Wilderness, is a bushcraft instructor and heritage craftsperson with a passion for bringing ancient woodland skills to life.
Step into his living history camp at the festival and have a go at traditional bushcraft and natural crafts. These fun, hands-on sessions are free to drop into, perfect for curious minds of all ages, and a great chance to try something a bit different!
Andy Kirkham
Have A Go!
Blacksmith with over 20 years experience, specialising in historically accurate tools.
Step up to the forge and watch sparks fly as Andy demonstrates the craft of blacksmithing right before your eyes.
Feeling brave? You can even have the chance to pick up a hammer and have a go yourself. A proper hands-on taste of this ancient trade.
Wild Man of the Woods
FREE
Archery with the Sherwood Outlaws
Have A Go!
Sherwood Outlaws bring the thrill of archery to the Woodland Festival!
Step up, take aim, and try your hand at hitting the target under expert guidance. Suitable for all ages, there’s a small fee to join in, and it’s the perfect way to test your Robin Hood skills while enjoying the fresh woodland air.
Whether you’re a first-timer or a budding archer, it’s great fun for families, friends, and anyone who fancies a bit of aim‑and‑shoot action.
Martin Clarkson Walk & Sketch
FREE
Martin Clarkson is an artist inspired by the beauty and character of ancient trees, with a huge love for the landscapes of Sherwood Forest.
Join Martin for relaxed, free sessions where you can slow down, look closely, and capture the shapes and stories of the trees around you.
Take a little stroll through Thoresby Park, sketchbook in hand, and discover how art can help you see the woodland in a whole new way.
No experience needed, just curiosity and a love of trees.
PearTree Garden Chainsaw Art
Demonstration
You will hear them before you see them…
Follow the noise of the revving chainsaw and see what they create over the weekend.
Watch as blocks of timber are transformed into beautiful sculptures right before your eyes, using skill, precision, and a steady hand. It’s a fascinating process to see up close.
Stop by to see what takes shape during the day and learn more about the art of chainsaw carving. You never quite know what woodland creature might emerge from the wood!
Turnham Green Wood
FREE
Inspired by the natural forms and strengths of wood, Lewis creates hand-made, bespoke coppice products using traditional green-woodworking techniques, such as cleaving, pole-lathing and steam-bending.
Step up and try your hand at preparing and making with hazel, usually adults-only, but this year Lewis is running short, free pop-up workshops just for kids!
He’ll provide all the materials, so little makers can join in, have fun, and take home something they’ve crafted themselves.
Major Oak Heritage Crafts
Demonstration
Gary Joynt is the “Wobbly Bodger” behind Major Oak Heritage Crafts, bringing traditional woodland skills to life at the festival.
Watch Gary demonstrate the art of carving a classic fan bird from green wood, a fascinating process full of skill, creativity, and a touch of whimsy.
You’ll see how timber transforms under expert hands, and maybe even pick up a tip or two.
The Miserable King and his Vanishing Castle
FREE
Ray, from Temima Crafts, will be telling his very silly story about the Miserable King and his Vanishing Castle.
Please note that only people, young and old, whose inner child is alive and well, will enjoy this nonsense.
Ray and Kathy will also be selling their blooming clever boxes and vanishing castles at the years festival!
Wellbeing in the Woods
NEW for 2026!
Immerse yourself in nature
Kindful and Wild
FREE
Sarah Hollis Yoga
FREE
Join Sarah for gentle yoga in the heart of Thoresby Park, with fun sessions for children and longer relaxing sessions for adults. Surrounded by birdsong and fresh forest air, it’s a wonderful opportunity to stretch, breathe and reconnect with nature.
Whether you’re completely new to yoga or a regular practitioner, Sarah’s welcoming sessions are the perfect way to slow down, unwind and enjoy the healing power of the woods.
The Nature CoachÂ
FREE
Forest Medicine
FREE
Muji invites you to slow down and tune into the healing rhythm of the woods.
Drawing on his deep experience in forest ecology, herbal medicine and the innate wisdom of nature, he leads gentle walks through the trees where you’ll discover how the forest can restore both body and mind.
The latest news from the Sherwood Forest Trust Woodland Festival
The Sherwood Forest Trust Woodland Festival returns for 2026! Â
Check out what we have new in store for you this summer!
Did someone say prize draw?!
Register your interest and receive updates about the Woodland Festival, and be in with a chance of winning some Sherwood Forest Trust merch!
Sherwood Forest Trust Woodland Festival 2025
Take a look at the Sherwood Forest Trust Woodland Festival 2025 at Thoresby Park!
There was something to delight every age. Children learned to weave, listened to stories by the Wild Man of the Woods, and crafted their own leather bracelets. Everyone had the chance to explore traditional woodworking, sample wild foraged syrups, join sketch walks with artist Martin Clarkson and foraging walks with Hannah Darcel from Kindful & Wild. Visitors enjoyed relaxed conversations with local craftspeople and conservation groups. And much, much more…
