Bumper crowds expected at UK’s largest forestry show

More than 300 exhibitors and 25,000 visitors are expected at this month’s APF 2024 event – a one-stop-shop for everything concerning woodlands, trees and timber.

Taking place on 19-21 September, the three-day extravaganza will feature more than £80m of working equipment  – much of it designed small woodlands and individual trees – at the Ragley Estate, Warwickshire.

Visitors can get advice on woodland creation, management and the latest grant schemes. Nurseries can assist with species choice, sizes and site suitability. Almost every manufacturer and dealer of woodland and arboricultural machinery are exhibiting.

Exhibition Secretary Ian Millward said: “The show’s reputation for being the place to demonstrate your products and equipment and sell them into the forestry, woodland, arboriculture is a major attraction to exhibitors given they will have a targeted audience.”

Events and competitions including the Husqvarna World 25m pole climbing championships, the A.W. Jenkinson and Tilhill European chainsaw carving championships, the APF UK Lumberjack Championships, traditional woodland crafts, and horse logging demonstrations.

Things to see

All aspects of timber utilisation are on display from chippers producing woodchips from waste timber to the biomass boilers to utilise the chips, firewood processing machines, charcoal kilns and portable sawmills to convert one log into utilisable posts and planks

A lot of the machinery is designed as attachments to be used with existing farm machinery such as tractors, excavators or telehandlers.

There will be demonstrations of horse logging and the opportunity to have-a-go and try your hand at handling these powerful animals.

A key feature of APF 2024 is the Fencing Village. All of the UK’s top suppliers and manufacturers of materials and equipment will be there demonstrating the latest tools, equipment, machinery and materials including the latest metal clip fencing recently approved for grant schemes.

When you have seen all the equipment on show, there are a host of others features and competitions to enjoy.

The UK Forwarder driving competition makes a welcome return to APF 2024, this time with Richard Court Forestry Engineering and Coombes Forestry Ltd picking up the controls. Taking place in a much larger arena than previously, competitors will face a series of tasks and obstacles to test their crane and machine control against the clock.

The A.W. Jenkinson and Tilhill European Chainsaw carving championships will also be taking place with 25 of Europe’s top carvers from as far afield as Lithuania, Romania and Poland.

There is a stellar line up with five previous winners and two of the top four from recent television competition Top Carve. All the carvings will be auctioned off on Saturday from 2pm so come along and treat yourself to a unique sculpture.

Watch the Husqvarna World 25m pole climbing championships, the APF Open tree climbing championships, the UK Lumberjacks competition, the world log to leg pole lathe championships and the British Open fencing championships for both metal Clipex fencing and traditional post and wire fencing.

Things to do

The traditional woodland crafts area continues to be a very big draw for visitors with the largest variety of crafts on display anywhere in the UK. Clogs to coracles, charcoal to chairs, wheelwrights to basket makers, and rakes to rustic carpentry. If you want to know what a ‘Sussex pimp’ is, this will be the place to find out!

Many of the craftsmen and women will be happy to let you try your hand at a new skill. See every phase of charcoal burning from stacking the kiln to the finished product.

Horse logging is a valuable method of timber extraction on sensitive sites and the British Horse Loggers will be running demonstrations and giving advice on all matters horse logging. You will even have a chance to get behind the reins and try it for yourself.

APF is keen to get visitors involved and try their hand at a new skill. To this end the Great Big Tree Climbing company will be enabling you to try tree climbing using a rope and harness. Test your head for heights and see if a career in arboriculture is for you. No excuses for not trying as the minimum age is just six years old!

If you have never tried pole climbing before, come to the arena and have a go at winning the best beginner’s prize. You can also gauge your skill with a chainsaw in complete safety using the Husqvarna chainsaw simulator and see how fast you can cut the branches off a tree.

And if after watching the axemen you fancy a go at axe throwing yourself, then you will be able to try it out under supervision of the pros.

Things to learn

Experts from across the forestry sector will be sharing their knowledge and views in the Seminar Tent, hosted by Confor (Confederation of Forest Industries UK).

Topics of discussion range from small woodland management and agroforestry systems to biosecurity and innovations in the industry.

Stuart Goodall, Confor Chief Executive, said: “Once again, the APF team have done a fantastic job in putting together the biggest and best forestry show in the UK. The exhibition keeps going from strength to strength.

“The APF occupies a special place in the forestry calendar, bringing together people from every corner of forestry, arboriculture, wood products and biomass. It is a unique and valuable experience for anyone with even a passing interest in what our industry does.”

The Seminar Tent is sponsored by the Forestry Commission and Forest Research.