Calendar

Ballytrim Sawmills and Estate. Hosted by the Cunningham family, we will visit the sawmill and discuss afforestation and Estate management. Visit to include Divisional AGM.

Led by John Sweeny (Sawmills Coordinator, Woodknowledge Wales), this tour will provide an opportunity to see homegrown timber used in all aspects of timber construction.

The tour will look at various timber related businesses in Southern and Central Scotland.
•    James Jones and Sons Sawmill, Lockerbie
•    Alexander’s Timber Design, Irvine
•    Scottish Wood, Dunfermline
•    Caledonia Timber, Melrose
•    Abbey Timber, Duns
•    Realwood Studio, Jedburgh
•    Tim Stead Trust, Blainslie (TBC)

The tour is aimed at smaller scale sawmills, timber framers, architects and foresters, though anyone is welcome.

Trevague and Trebartha - Patrick Latham (Lewannick). AM: 12 ha of 25-year-old farm woodland at Trevague. PM: Woodland gardens and Champion Trees at Trebartha.

Pembrey Sands.Hosted by Natural Resources Wales, we will look at the management of sand dune woodland and associated pests and pathogens.

Lake District National Park Authority, Haverthwaite Heights. We will look at temperate rainforest and ASNW assessment, invasive non-native species and access issues. To include Divisional AGM.

Timber 101 from Woodknowledge Wales with Filros Timber Consultancy is for built environment and forestry professionals, procurement teams, housing developers, designers, and anyone looking to deepen their understanding of timber as a construction material.

This first session sets the scene for the rest of the series and is recommended for all attendees.

We will focus on what needs to be considered to accurately specify timber and explains why this is vital for balancing performance, cost, and sustainability. Attendees will be taught how to identify appropriate species, implement grading standards, and comprehend the concept of ‘quality’ as it applies to timber.

We will cover:
• How to specify timber for different applications
• Species selection and nomenclature
• Types of grading and when to grade
• Use classes and movement
• Durability and protection
• Clarifying quality terminology and avoiding confusion

Hardcastle Crags and Gibson Mill, Hebden Bridge. Hosted by The National Trust, with its mixed woodlands and watercourses reflecting West Yorkshire’s industrial past, we'll see woodland restructuring, debris dams and the heritage of Calderdale.

Ragley Estate, Alcester. We will enjoy a guided tour of this historic Estate and current home of the Association of Professional Foresters (APF).

Haldon Forest - Forestry England. Managing recreation around ecology and forestry operations and CCF versus clear fell. To include Divisional AGM.

Timber 101 is a free CPD-friendly series from Woodknowledge Wales, tailored for professionals across the built environment, procurement teams, housing developers, designers, and anyone aiming to expand their knowledge of timber as a contemporary construction material.

This session focuses on the biological foundation of timber and how the growth processes of trees impact its structure and characteristics.

We will explore:
• The difference between softwoods and hardwoods
• How tree growth habits affect timber characteristics
• The naming of trees and timber – and the confusion this can cause
• Common commercial species used in the UK and Europe
• Opportunities and limitations of home-grown timber

This session will help attendees understand the link between forest and final product – and the importance of choosing the right species for the right job.

Brook Farm and Bryn Arw.A joint visit with Herefordshire Division. The morning visit to Brook Farm will look at commercial woodland creation. In the afternoon, we will visit Bryn Arw to compare this with community-led projects.

Hosted by Woodknowledge Wales, the Timber 101 series explores the properties, performance, and specification of timber across the supply chain.

This session offers a hands-on introduction to wood as a natural resource and highlights its essential physical and mechanical characteristics.

We will cover:
• Variability in appearance, grain, texture and figure
• Density and its impact on performance
• Juvenile wood and reaction wood – and how to recognise them
• Corrosive interactions and chemical behaviour
• How timber behaves structurally and what this means in design

This session is ideal for specifiers and designers who need a better understanding of how wood’s material properties affect its use in construction.

The Timber 101 webinar series from Woodknowledge Wales is a great opportunity for foresters interested in gaining deeper insight into the materials they supply, and for designers to achieve a better understanding as to how the materials that they specify, behave in various conditions.

Understanding moisture levels is crucial to the functionality of timber, but it’s frequently overlooked. In this session, we will define ‘moisture in timber’ and discuss methods for evaluating and handling it effectively.

We will cover:
•    Green vs seasoned timber – how and why moisture content changes
•    Timber drying methods and moisture testing
•    Shrinkage and movement in service
•    Storage and transport considerations

Understanding how timber interacts with moisture is key to ensuring long-term performance and avoiding structural or aesthetic failures.