Woodoaks Farm

Woodoaks Farm Connecting Community with food, farming & nature. Protecting our heritage & regenerating our landscape. Helping to restore people & planet wellbeing.

🍞 Sourdough is a living ecosystem, wild yeasts, good bacteria, flour, salt and water. While we rush around, the dough is...
03/09/2026

🍞 Sourdough is a living ecosystem, wild yeasts, good bacteria, flour, salt and water. While we rush around, the dough is doing its own slow thing, no shortcuts, no rushing.

This is the fabulous Flo Garvey of .bakehouse.fermentary who baked the loaves for my book launch, all organic, is a Land Trust farm. If you're near Rickmansworth, collect your own loaf from the farm on Saturday mornings.

Sourdough connects us to the land, our ancestors, and the simple rhythm of real food, there's something in making it by hand too, the kneading, the waiting, the anticipation. 🌱 More on this in my book…

🌟 Congratulations again to Kate , our recent Soil to Gut giveaway winner.

Taste → nourish → reconnect.

📖 My book: Soil to Gut - link 🔗 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Soil-Gut-Regenerate-Your-Health/dp/1917159331

Last Friday’s bat walk had been touch and go right up until the last minute. The rain, wind and cloudy darkness in the h...
03/09/2026

Last Friday’s bat walk had been touch and go right up until the last minute.

The rain, wind and cloudy darkness in the hours that led up to it was challenging our decision to push ahead.

We held our nerve, watched the clouds roll on by, and once again experienced that WONDER of seeing the bats emerge into the night skies.

Our stars of the show were both the Soprano and Common Pipistrelles. No sign this year of Noctule or the Brown Long ears this time. But what we did get is an exceptionally low display over our heads. Lower than ever before.

Whilst still hugging the hedge lines, the bats were directly over our path. We wondered whether the fresh and green Lucerne (on the right of us) may have been attracting the bats food source of moths, when all else is barren due to drought.

When we hold these nature encounters we witness children excited and lost in the moment. We hear their squeals of delight and watch parents realise why a night outside in nature beats a night in on the sofa.

It was good to see young 12 year old Max meeting acclaimed slime mould photographer Barry Webb and talking about their shared love of wildlife photography.

It was great to hear young Woodoaks’ ambassador Rishaan swopping details so he could meet up and help Max spot the Whinchat and Yellow Wagtail on the farm.

If we can help create an environment that welcomes in wildlife and a space that helps young people to grow their relationship with nature and make healthy inspiring connections with like minded souls, then we feel we are doing a good job.

Thank you to volunteers Chris (bats), John (moths), Gary, Sarah and young Ambassadors Izzy and Rishaan for all your help on the evening. Along with the bats you’re the superstars of the night 👊🦇☺️⭐️

Remember we lost our Grow Wild Club forest school den to fire a few weeks ago? THIS FRIDAY we are clearing the space and...
31/08/2026

Remember we lost our Grow Wild Club forest school den to fire a few weeks ago?

THIS FRIDAY we are clearing the space and rebuilding it so young imaginations can move back in!

If you’d like to join the team for the volunteer morning - to help make good the space, we’d love your help.

Please meet us in the car park at 9.30am.

Wear some decent shoes with grip. Tools and gloves will be provided 🥾👊🌱🪵.

What a completely breathtaking photo of the full blood moon taken in the early hours of this morning by friend of the fa...
28/08/2026

What a completely breathtaking photo of the full blood moon taken in the early hours of this morning by friend of the farm Jon Mason AKA The Early Birder.

His words are as beautiful as his photography …

“Well late turned into early as I watched the full blood moon pass across a starry sky that just a few short hours before had been belligerent and volatile.

Male tawny owls still called to each other as glis glis climbed through the old orchard.

During a partial lunar eclipse, the earth moves between the sun and the moon. As a result of a process known as Rayleigh scattering, longer wavelength colours like reds and oranges from sunlight are refracted around the earth and projected onto the moon, bestowing such a beautiful hue upon it...”.

Thank you Jon for sharing this photo with us ✨🌓✨

Follow Jon on Instagram . You won’t regret it ☺️

27/08/2026

We lost a very special person on the farm this week and life will be far less colourful as a result. Romey T Brough 1944-2026.

You'd find Romey in her studio day in day out, 7 days a week, finishing her latest commission or painting the things that made her smile - the poppies, the sunflowers, the cat that had recently adopted her.

We once asked Romey what drove her to be an artist. She answered...

"That's a bit like asking what drove me to be a human!!!! I have always drawn, painted and created...holidays in Devon...red Silvine notebooks filled with drawings of cottages in Thurlestone...grass "houses" created for imaginary mice living at the bottom of our garden...horses and ponies drawn for school friends.....nature walks from my year at boarding school on the south downs and painting grasses and orchids gathered....then copying the "old masters" in picture study at secondary school and getting a gold star for each one".

"When I am creating I forget everything, time becomes irrelevant as do people...it's just me and colour and paint..........nothing and no one else matters".

To enter Romey's studio was to step into a world of colour and experimentation. There was always a warm welcome, a chat and the offer of a cup of tea. Visit Romey and you'd leave the World's rush at the door, escaping for a moment into her stories, creative flow and art.

You will be sorely missed Romey.

Our love goes out to your friends and family at this tough time.

Romey Brough Romeytbrough.monoprints.oil paintings

Film by Carl Yates.

Our volunteers were on part II of a mission last Friday. There was work to be done in our regeneration area that sits al...
25/08/2026

Our volunteers were on part II of a mission last Friday. There was work to be done in our regeneration area that sits alongside Bottom Wood.

Part 1: Brushcutting. Earlier in the week Amy and Paul two of our volunteers had been trained to use the brush cutters and with the help of Farm Ranger Steve and Chiltern Rangers CIC they cut back the existing vegetation to prepare the ground for establishing a new wildflower meadow.

Part 2: Friday. Removing the cut grass. This really matters because leaving nutrient-rich cuttings behind can add nutrients back into the soil, which then tends to favour vigorous grasses and weeds over many wildflowers. Over time it also creates a layer of dead organic matter or 'thatch' that prevents water air and nutrients from reaching the roots of plants.

Volunteer Michelle reported on the day.

"After lots of hard work earlier in the week from volunteer brush cutters in the 're-gen area', the Friday volunteers set about clearing the cut grass .

Steve gave us a great insight into the background of the re-gen area and the plan to transform part of it into a wildflower meadow as part of the Woodoaks Biodiversity Net Gain 30 year offset responsibility. As a volunteer it's great to understand the importance of the tasks we're set and how our work is helping impact wildlife.

Thankfully the temperature was a bit lower than recently , as raking cut grass was a hot job!

We quickly created mountains of cuttings which the “drag baggers” piled into heaps in the undergrowth to rot safely.

Stopping for refreshments was a lovely chance to chat and connect together - such a lovely group of people .

Over the course of the day, the happy gang of volunteers cleared 1.5 acres which is roughly 1.5 football field! A few blisters and a few aching limbs , but what a feel good achievement and top day!

I have been volunteering at Woodoaks for 1.5 years. It’s a great fun community and a chance to do some good in the fresh air and to learn more about the importance of farming methods, soil and sustainability. I never thought I could have so much fun with compost, hedgerows and spades!"

Thank you Michelle and thank you every volunteer for all the work you did on this day and every day you step up!

It's easy to get involved in volunteering at Woodoaks. Sign up to our Better Impact volunteering platform, come for a meet and greet session then get going! Find out more at woodoaksfarm.com or drop us an email at [email protected]

This has to be one of THE BEST volunteer photos ever! Here’s Anu holding up the pants that we buried with Newfield Prima...
20/08/2026

This has to be one of THE BEST volunteer photos ever!

Here’s Anu holding up the pants that we buried with Newfield Primary school, Willesden as part of their Country Trust visit back at the tail end of April.

Our active compost pile has been busy gobbling up the pants. All the worms, fungi and bacteria have been munching away on the cotton, leaving just the plastic elastic!

Active, healthy soil, supported by nature rather than harmful chemicals, is vital to building resilience for the future. It helps break down organic matter, recycle nutrients, build good soil structure, hold water, store carbon and feed the plants that support the wider ecosystem.

On yer bike Flo Garvey! It started with a casual chat back in March. Flo had been talking to volunteer Graeme about the ...
18/08/2026

On yer bike Flo Garvey!

It started with a casual chat back in March. Flo had been talking to volunteer Graeme about the notion of a pedal bike that shredded food waste to speed up the rate of decomposition.

Then out of the blue we got the call. The bike was READY!!!!

Graeme had used his engineering mind and experience to create (and decorate) a Woodoaks Waste Warrior bike. Simply pop on the bike pedal like billy-ho and the fruit and veg is pile ready!

Get fit, reduce waste, make compost all in one! What's not to like???

Thank you Graeme for taking an idea and running with it. For your creativity and kindness and for such a special contribution to the farm!

Compost club is run by Flo of Woodoaks Bakehouse and Fermentary and Sarratt Community Garden. It takes place every Wednesday 10-11. A short sharp hour of connection, physical workout and compost banter. It's a friendly and carefree fresh air hour - brain, body and soul engaged.

Sign up to come and join us.

Woodoaks General volunteering takes place on Wednesday and Friday morning and Saturday mornings on Golden Rose Flower Farm. To find out more visit woodoaksfarm.com

17/08/2026

🦊Hello Mr Fox! What do you think you're doing?

Curious and hungry this fox has scaled the tree looking for a tasty snack in one of our owl boxes! Now that's determination!

🐿️ Right now the only thing on the menu in that box is pesky squirrels.

Finding deeper connection in your community comes in many forms and we've got lots going on at the farm over the coming ...
16/08/2026

Finding deeper connection in your community comes in many forms and we've got lots going on at the farm over the coming weeks. From movement and wellbeing to flowers, foraging, food, theatre and more.

SUNDAY 30 AUG | 9.30–11.45AM - NEW!
‘Joy at Woodoaks’ – Somatic Dance Experience. Escape into nature for a nourishing morning of breathwork, somatic movement, live DJ music, cacao and joyful connection.
£25 - Book Here www.eventbrite.com/e/joy-woodoaks-tickets-1993647987799

TUESDAY 1 SEPT & TUESDAY 6 OCT | 7–9PM
Sound Bath Meditation with Nurturing Tranquillity
£20 - Book Here https://www.nurturingtranquillity.co.uk/store/p/https/wwwnurturingtranquillitycouk/store/p/sound-bath-mediation-z4t7m

WEDNESDAY 26 AUG & SUNDAY 6 SEPT
Pick Your Own Flower Sessions with Golden Rose Flower Farm
£25.00 - Book Here goldenroseflowerfarm.co.uk/pick-your-own-flowers

MONDAY 7 SEPT | 7–9PM
Lucy Williamson Nutrition Workshop – “On the Pulse with Your Gut
£25 - Book Here www.tickettailor.com/events/lucywilliamsonnutrition/2113312

SATURDAY 12 SEPT & SATURDAY 10 OCT | 10–12.30PM
Flavour Fred – Fungi, Foraging and Folklore walk
£45 - Book Here https://www.flavourfred.com/events/list/?tribe-bar-search=woodoaks+farm

THURSDAY 17 SEPT | 9.45am
Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care wellness walk & talk.
FREE renniegrovepeace.org/events/walk-and-talk/

SATURDAY 10 OCT | 7PM NEW!
NEW! ‘Big Girl Pants’ – Black Barn with Lynn Beaumont and Blag Theatre.
£20 - www.ticketsource.com/biggirlpants

A hilarious and heartbreaking one-woman show. Written and performed by Lynn Beaumont, this is her story; a fierce, funny and tender memoir tracking Lynn’s life with her late husband, Ricky Beaumont. The play jumps through timelines; from their whirlwind showbiz romance, to Ricky’s diagnosis, to putting the ‘fun’ into funerals. This play takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions, but ultimately is a hopeful celebration of love and resilience in the face of profound loss. It is a raw, authentic and joyful expression of her love - don’t miss it!

SATURDAYS

🍞Woodoaks Pop-Up Bakery – 9.30–11.30AM Swing by or pre order and pick up organic sourdough and bakes from Woodoaks Bakehouse and Fermentary. Pre-orders close at 9:00 PM every Thursday for Saturday collection.
Pre Book your bakes here: woodoaksbakehouseandfermentary.ooooby.org/

💪Strength & Conditioning – 9.30–9.50AM - Drop in - £3
💃Zumba – 10–10.45AM - Drop in - £5

SUNDAYS | 9–10AM
🧘🏽Yoga in Nature with Marina and Julia - Drop in - £10.00

🍅Rickey's Alkaline Market Garden and Fruit Forest Farm Shop - 10-4pm

💪LV F**T Group Fitness – Strength, Stamina & Power
Mondays: 12.45pm & 7pm
Wednesdays: 12.45pm & 7pm
Thursdays: 6.30am
Fridays: 12.45pm
Saturdays: 8.30am
Book Here. www.lvfitt.co.uk/group-fitness

MONDAYS | 6.30–7.30PM
🏃🏽‍♀️Run Fit with Inclusivept – Run Stronger, Move Better & Stay Injury Free
£10.00. Book Here bit.ly/4gxnmdM

FIRST FRIDAY IN EVERY MONTH 🚶🏽‍♀️🚶‍♂️🚶🏽‍♀️Hertfordshire Health Walks - 9.30 start. Meet in car park.

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Woodoaks Farm, Denham Way
Maple Cross
WD39XQ

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