Woodlab is the unruly offspring and much beloved project of The Woodland Presents CIC. Broadly speaking the organisation is trying to do right by British woods and support the people that work with trees and timber. We have a huge belief in the power of woodhubs to help restore woodland culture, and Woodlab is our little woodhub offering to the world.
Woodlab lives on the edge of North Woods on the Dartington Hall Estate, Founding Director Al Tempest was born and bred here and spent his childhood roaming the woods. The medieval estate has a rich history in silviculture and has been home to many thinkers and makers over the years, from Lucien Freud and Wilfreds Hiley to James Lovelock, Aldous Huxley and many more.
After years spent travelling, researching, modelling and piloting, Al sought to commandeer a knackered old tractor shed at Dartington that he’d had an eye on for some time. Having been joined by an amazing team, after much sweat, toil and tea breaks, we’ve breathed new life into the old girl once again. Now, the tools are sharp, the doors are open and the kettle’s on. So welcome on in and let the ‘labbing’ (is that a word?) commence!
