The Cranborne Chase Woodfair is a bit special. It has a unique atmosphere that reflects the landscape from which it takes its name. The Woodfair has the same wide appeal as the broad vistas of the Chase and, just as secluded villages and country pubs can be discovered throughout the area, the Woodfair is the perfect place to discover hidden gems such as a delicately turned bowl or pitch-perfect cider. The special atmosphere is not the only thing that sets it apart. It is organised by the Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB); a partnership of charities, public bodies and other organisations who work together to conserve and enhance this quintessentially English landscape. The event makes a little money that goes towards projects that care for the countryside, so rest assured that your ticket price is put to good work.
Wherever you turn you will find someone willing to show you something or tell you something that you did not know about the area. The Woodfair is so much more than the bland “shopping experience” that you find in some country shows. Throughout the day you will see wood being milled, sawn, chopped, sculpted, joined, twisted and twirled into an amazing variety of things from tent pegs and toys to baskets and buildings. You can watch while a craftsman’s hands create a tiny bird in front of you or have a go at making a walking stick. You can experience the feeling of being hoisted up into the canopy of an oak tree, or watch as a steam-driven saw screams its way though a tree trunk. One of the main attractions is the chainsaw carvers. Amidst a blizzard of woodchips and the howl of the saws, they transform huge tree trunks into works of art that are auctioned off on the last day.
This event is a shop window for the locality. More than half of the traders come from the immediate vicinity of Cranborne Chase: Wiltshire, Dorset, Hampshire and Somerset. The trade stands are carefully selected to ensure variety and a consistently high quality of product and service. One of the really great things about the Woodfair is that if you want to buy something, taste something or just find out about it, the person you speak to will probably be the person who made it or grew it. Unlike many other events, at the Woodfair you can have a go at doing things: shooting an arrow, climbing a tree, making a pot, smelting bronze, turning a chair leg … the list goes on!
At the Woodfair, you can taste the landscape. Although the cuisine on offer is varied they have a few things in common like top quality locally-sourced ingredients. Whatever your tastes may be; game, organic, vegetarian, meaty, traditional, novel, fast or slow, you will find something to delight you.
Once you have got something to eat, the best thing to do at the Woodfair is to wander through the heritage exhibitions or pull up a straw bale and watch the show ring performances. The performers and experts at the Woodfair come together to open a door to the culture, history and way of life of Cranborne Chase. Be prepared to be amused and enthused as well as educated because we choose the exhibitors with great care and, as always at the Woodfair, there is an open invitation to have a go and take part.
The Cranborne Chase Woodfair is held in the setting of Breamore House near Fordingbridge over the weekend of the 3rd and 4th of October. To find out more and get the special rate on tickets, go to www.woodfair.org.uk. We very much hope to see you there.
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