Chopwell Woods near High Spen will become a hive of activity during the annual Chopwell Woods Festival. There will be an array of activities on offer including forest theatre, music, horse rides and wildlife displays. 100 exhibitors will be sharpening chisels and flexing muscles to provide a riot of family fun. | "We've scoured the country to assemble some of the nation's finest crafts people." | | Leanne Shipley |
Last summer over 7,000 people enjoyed a selection of activities and sent wood chips flying, proving that ancient forest skills are alive and kicking. Watch out for Twiggy, Moss and Creeper – they are fantasy forest dwellers played by acrobats. Elsewhere, intrepid trapeze artists from the Belfast Circus will display their aerial talents, while children can launch themselves from the tree tops on a zip ride. Stunts There'll also be gravity-defying stunts from the North East's new mountain bike display team.
 | | Craftsmen will be demonstrating crafts |
Crafts on display will demonstrate bodging, charcoal making, oak bark peeling and hurdle and coracle making. Raku pottery Sculptors will also be hard at work in the wood with Seaham-artist, Dave Gros, carving a pair of giant hands and potter, Marvin Kitshaw, will offer revellers a chance to try the exotic 16th century Japanese skill of Raku pottery. Ranger Leanne Shipley said: "We've scoured the country to assemble some of the nation's finest crafts people. There'll be chance to have a go at wood turning, weave a basket and dabble in pottery. It's amazing how many of the old skills survive. Some are undergoing a revival, thanks in part to shows like Chopwell." Honey Food lovers can also sample the honey made by the British Black Bee. The Black Bee was virtually wiped out by disease in 1914. Now thanks to selective breeding, it's on its way back, and the bees will make a festival appearance courtesy of a portable hive! | 
