Scarborough's Secret Wood festival hailed success by organisers

This year more than 1,000 people attended the event which offered traditional coppice crafts, guided walks, storytelling, live music, woodworking, archery and even a visit from a fire engine.

The popular event, which had been revived by Raincliffe Wood Community Enterprise, was previously an annual celebration on the Scarborough calendar.

This year, the festival also gave visitors the opportunity to learn more about the woodland’s history, management, plants and animals.

Gillian Astbury, the group’s Events and Outreach Officer, said: “It was a fantastic day and we had really nice weather. Lots of people came and we had really positive feedback.

“The archery was really popular and the green woodworking, where people whittled objects out of young fresh wood, was fully booked all day. Everyone got to take home a button eye with them.

“Luke Barker and Dan Pelucci provided the music, performing two sessions each and author Terenia Edwards wrote a fairytale and performed a shadow puppet show for young visitors.

“The fire service was there, they are always popular. The whole event was just fantastic with a really relaxed atmosphere.

“People enjoyed sitting and relaxing in the woods and hearing more about what we do.

“It was a really good day and we’re already starting to plan next year’s event.”

Secret Wood was first organised by Scarborough Borough Council to encourage people back into woodland following its closure due to the nationwide foot-and-mouth disease outbreak and was a regular event until May 2011. It is believed to have last been held in October 2013.

The event is part of Scarborough’s ‘Wonderful Woodlands’ project, which has been funded by the National Lottery Community Fund to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Raincliffe Wood Community Enterprise is one of 91 organisations across the country to be awarded funding by providing grants to projects helping to bring communities together.

The grant will be used to deliver a programme of events including guided walks; star gazing; heritage craft workshops; mapping sessions; bushcraft events and food festivals; working with schools and youth groups and creating digital resources to increase accessibility.