The Elderwood Project

The Elderwood Project Registered Charity 1216769
The Elderwood Project transforms reclaimed wood into education. Ancient roots • Guided by nature • Greener future
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We teach traditional craftsmanship, heritage woodworking and practical skills while rescuing waste timber.

🌧️ GLORIOUS RAIN! 🌧️ After feeling like we’ve been slow cooking all week, Thor himself has blessed us with a bit of a ra...
26/06/2026

🌧️ GLORIOUS RAIN! 🌧️

After feeling like we’ve been slow cooking all week, Thor himself has blessed us with a bit of a rainstorm.

(And it’s very welcome!)

Open today until 12 as usual, my job today is to finish sanding a rather large project then drop it off for the customer (pictures coming as soon as it’s in situ)

Until Monday, keep hydrated, and for the love of all things precious, don’t be walking your dogs in the blazing sunshine unless you’re willing to wear a fur coat and walk barefoot yourself! 🐕

🌞 IT’S MONDAY 🌞(And according to the weather forecast, Yorkshire is about to become the Mediterranean.)The workshop door...
22/06/2026

🌞 IT’S MONDAY 🌞

(And according to the weather forecast, Yorkshire is about to become the Mediterranean.)

The workshop doors are open, and we’re preparing for temperatures usually only seen in exotic places such as Spain, Greece, and occasionally Doncaster.

If you’re melting at home, come and hide amongst the timber piles for a while. The workshop stays surprisingly cool, there’s always something interesting being built, and it’s a good excuse to escape whatever jobs you’ve been avoiding.

We’ve got projects on the go, and enough wood waiting for a second life to keep us busy for months.

So if you fancy a wander, a chat, a bit of inspiration, or simply somewhere that doesn’t feel like the surface of the sun, come and see us.

Open today.

Bring yourself.
Bring a cold drink.
Leave the outside world at the door for an hour or two.

🌳 WANTED: LWB VAN FOR THE ELDERWOOD PROJECT 🌳Our current timber collection vehicles appear to be experiencing some minor...
21/06/2026

🌳 WANTED: LWB VAN FOR THE ELDERWOOD PROJECT 🌳

Our current timber collection vehicles appear to be experiencing some minor loading issues... as in, they can't fit enough in!

If anyone knows of a reliable van for sale, please let us know.

We're looking for something suitable for collecting reclaimed timber and unwanted wood from across the local area as part of our environmental and community work.

Ideally:
- Long wheelbase
- High top (but not a deal breaker)
- Mechanically sound
- Doesn't look like it's been recently pulled out the river

We are going to be using our funding to purchase so sellers must be open to a Charity bank tansfer for payment so recommendations, leads and shares would be hugely appreciated.

Every collection helps keep usable materials out of landfill and gives them a second life through community projects, workshops and reclaimed wood creations.

Please comment below, send us a message, or tag someone who is selling or who might be able to help.

(Please don't link Marketplace listings, they have already been scoured!)

🌿 OPEN TODAY (YES, ON A SUNDAY!) 🌿The original plan was to have a day off.The timber pile had other ideas.After ANOTHER ...
21/06/2026

🌿 OPEN TODAY (YES, ON A SUNDAY!) 🌿

The original plan was to have a day off.

The timber pile had other ideas.

After ANOTHER visit from the wood fairies, we’ve now got a rather impressive amount of new stock to sort, process and find homes for, so we’ll both be in the workshop today from 10am until 2pm.

If you’re looking for reclaimed timber, project wood, interesting offcuts, craft materials, or just fancy a nosy around and a chat, feel free to call in.

There are all sorts of shapes, sizes and species waiting for their second life, and we’re still uncovering treasures as we work through the latest haul.

As always, if you’ve got unwanted wood taking up space, we’d love to hear from you.

🌿 THE WOOD FAIRIES HAVE BEEN 🌿We didn’t have much planned for this morning beyond a bit of paperwork, a brew, and perhap...
19/06/2026

🌿 THE WOOD FAIRIES HAVE BEEN 🌿

We didn’t have much planned for this morning beyond a bit of paperwork, a brew, and perhaps a gentle argument with some fletching.

Then we arrived at the workshop to discover that, sometime during the night, someone had paid us a visit…

A rather generous visit, judging by the mountain of timber now sat outside waiting for its second life.

There are all sorts in this latest haul. Long lengths, short lengths, thick bits, thin bits, and several pieces already whispering ideas for future projects.

Perfectly usable timber rescued from being skipped, burnt, or forgotten, ready to become shelves, furniture, crafts, signs, workshop projects and who knows what else.

Now comes the fun part: sorting it all, cleaning it up, and seeing what treasures are hiding within.

If you’ve got unwanted wood taking up space, don’t forget we may be able to collect it and give it a second chance.

Right then… I’ll finish this brew and start digging.

🌿 OPEN TODAY 🌿The workshop doors are open and the sawdust is slowly attempting to reclaim its natural habitat.After a bu...
18/06/2026

🌿 OPEN TODAY 🌿

The workshop doors are open and the sawdust is slowly attempting to reclaim its natural habitat.

After a busy few weeks of events, collections, commissions and workshops, today is one of those quieter days where we’ll be pottering about, looking at a few small projects and seeing where inspiration takes us.

We’ve got plenty of reclaimed timber in stock, from useful lengths for builders and DIY enthusiasts to interesting bits and pieces waiting for someone to turn them into something wonderful.

If you’ve been putting off a project, looking for materials, or simply fancy a wander around a workshop full of wood, tools and organised chaos, feel free to call in and say hello.

You never know what treasure you might find hiding in the timber piles.

And as always, if you have unwanted wood taking up space, we’d love to help give it a second life.

The wood is waiting.

The workshop will be closed today as we’re away delivering one of our events elsewhere.It’s always a strange feeling loc...
17/06/2026

The workshop will be closed today as we’re away delivering one of our events elsewhere.

It’s always a strange feeling locking up the workshop to head out and share the things we love with people further afield, but every event helps support the work we do here at The Elderwood Project.

We’ll be back open soon with fresh timber, new creations and perhaps a few stories from the road.

Until then, the sawdust can rest for a day.

See you soon.

🌿🪵 NEW WOOD HAS ARRIVED! 🪵🌿The timber gods have smiled upon us once more.We’ve had a fresh influx of reclaimed wood arri...
16/06/2026

🌿🪵 NEW WOOD HAS ARRIVED! 🪵🌿

The timber gods have smiled upon us once more.

We’ve had a fresh influx of reclaimed wood arrive at The Elderwood Project in all manner of shapes, sizes and stories. Beams, boards, offcuts, stumps and oddities, each patiently waiting for its second life.

Perhaps a shelf.

Perhaps a workbench.

Perhaps the beginnings of your next grand idea.

Every piece that passes through our doors is another piece saved from landfill and given a chance to become useful, beautiful, or simply interesting once more.

Whether you’re a seasoned woodworker, a DIY enthusiast, or simply enjoy rummaging through piles of timber imagining what could be, we’ve got plenty to choose from.

Pop down and see what treasures have found their way into the workshop this week. You never know what you’ll discover.

🌿 OPEN TODAY (AGAIN…) 🌿We know, we know…We said we’d have a day off.The workshop had other ideas.After staring out of th...
13/06/2026

🌿 OPEN TODAY (AGAIN…) 🌿

We know, we know…

We said we’d have a day off.

The workshop had other ideas.

After staring out of the window for a while and pretending to relax, we decided we’d rather be surrounded by half-finished projects and the smell of sawdust.

So, The Elderwood Project will be open today until around 2pm.

If you need some wood for a project, fancy a browse around the shop, or simply want to escape the modern world for half an hour, jump in and say hello.

There are commissions being finished, new ideas taking shape on the workbench, and probably a cup of tea brewing somewhere.

Some people go to the beach on their day off.

We apparently come back to the workshop.

As always, if you have unwanted timber gathering dust and taking up space, we’d love to give it a second life. 🪵⚒️🌿

🌲 Calling Local Businesses, Tradespeople & Contractors 🌲Are you a joiner, kitchen fitter, builder, landscaper, tree surg...
12/06/2026

🌲 Calling Local Businesses, Tradespeople & Contractors 🌲

Are you a joiner, kitchen fitter, builder, landscaper, tree surgeon, fencing contractor or local business that regularly ends up with usable timber that would otherwise be skipped, burned or sent to landfill?

The Elderwood Project would like to help.

We’re a local registered charity based in Otley, dedicated to rescuing unwanted timber and giving it a second life through woodworking, education and community projects.

We’re currently looking to work with businesses that want to improve their environmental impact at absolutely no cost to themselves.

As an Elderwood Environmental Partner, you’ll receive:

- A digital Environmental Partner badge for your website and social media and physical stickers/plaques for your shop
- Recognition on our social media channels
- A responsible destination for suitable unwanted timber
- The opportunity to support a local charity and community project
- A simple way to demonstrate your commitment to sustainability

Instead of paying to send usable timber to landfill, help us put it back into the hands of makers, community groups and local people.

If your business regularly has timber, offcuts, reclaimed wood, fencing, decking, beams, shelving or other reusable wood available, we’d love to hear from you.

Together, we can keep more wood in circulation and less in landfill.

Message The Elderwood Project, email us at [email protected], or simply call up to the workshop at Murphy’s Yard, Ellar Ghyll to see for yourself and to find out more.

Ancient roots • Guided by nature • Greener future





Address

Imperial Works, Ellar Ghyll, Menston
Otley
LS296AA

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 12pm

Website

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