About The Oak Fair
The Oak Fair is a celebration of the countryside, conservation, woodland, timber, traditional craft, rural history and Dorset.
As our little fair has grown over the years we have introduced something for everybody whether you are a countryside & conservation enthusiast, a shopaholic, a craftsman, a foodie or you just want to try your hand at throwing an axe!
We have over 200 exhibitors made up of stalls selling everything from homeware & jewellery to entire sheds and wood burning stoves, a host of traditional craft demonstrations, big machinery shows, conservation charities and an array of local foodies with a beer tent, cider tent and gin bar!
In our arenas we hold big displays including The British Heavy Horse Logger's team and falconry and there are lots of hands on activities including pole climbing, archery and tree climbing to get involved in.
There is also a special free children's area which includes entertainment and workshops.
Our Ethos
The heart of The Oak Fair has always been and will always be, conservation.
The conservation of our countryside, wildlife and woodland as well as our crafts and trades. In the beginning the Oak Fair was a way to help pay for the conservation of this historic Estate and the same goes for today.
We are a platform for many craftsmen to get out and show off what they can do and why it's worth preserving.
It is a bit of a family affair with a little help from our friends to pull off this special fair. The Oak Fair is far more important than Christmas with the whole family coming together year on year and we hope this never fades.
Our Mission Statement
This is the original mission statement from Andrew Langmead the creator of the show back in the early 2000's. Not much has changed!
Many people have asked me what an Oak Fair is?
The answer is, that until recently, it was just an idea borne out of living and working among beautiful trees. I hope this first Oak Fair lives up to my expectations and yours too.
What does the Oak symbolise to you?
Trafalgar and our great sea-faring history?
A haven for wildlife?
Fine English Furniture?
Quality woodwork?
The pinnacle of a rich and varied ecosystem?
or is it just a beautiful tree and a roaring log fire?
It is all of the above and more. Oak Woodlands are the foundation of many of our traditional rural skills. As you walk around today, talk to the people who are involved and work with our woodlands, learn and be inspired by our great heritage.
Stock Gaylard Estate
Stock Gaylard Estate is a small traditional country estate in Dorset and is around 1800 acres with around 300 acres of predominantly oak woodland, 80 acres of common land and an enclosed 80 acre deer park with a small lake.
Over the last couple of hundred years the estate has been used for country sports and the hedgerows and woodlands preserved for that purpose. The result is an unspoiled environment that encompasses modern dairy farming with a number of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
An SSSI is a site designated, by English Nature, for the protection of its rare species of animals, plants or geological features.
We have an ethos of conservation and preservation.