Rising from the valley: a new sustainable woodland centre takes shape at Yarner Wood

By Chris Harbut, Reserve Manager, Devon National Nature Reserves

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Tucked into a steep-sided Dartmoor valley, a new woodland centre is taking shape at Yarner Wood, built almost entirely from timber grown in the surrounding landscape. In this post, we share how the building is coming together, from the Douglas fir frame to the cedar cladding still to come. We also explain how sustainability has shaped every decision, including the off-grid power and water systems, and how we hope the centre will welcome schools, community groups and partners when it opens at the end of the year.

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If you've visited Yarner Wood recently, you may have noticed something new rising among the trees. Tucked into this steep-sided Dartmoor valley, within the East Dartmoor National Nature Reserve (NNR), a new woodland centre is taking shape. One built almost entirely from timber sourced from the surrounding landscape. We wanted to share the story of how it's coming together, and why sustainability is at the very heart of this project.

Construction of this new, purpose-built facility, will replace the previous woodland centre. Work began earlier this year, and since then it's been a hive of activity here at Yarner. Following the initial site clearance and logistics work, the timber frame has been erected, the roof is on, windows are being installed, and cladding is being put on.

This is no standard facility, but a considered response to its unique landscape setting, with generous natural light and a strong sense of place designed to keep visitors connected to the woodland around them at every turn.

A building made from the woodland it sits within

The timber is the star of this project. The building's frame, now proudly standing tall, is built from beams crafted from Douglas fir donated by the Woodland Trust. The timber was sourced from within the NNR, from Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS). This is ongoing woodland restoration work that is transitioning conifer plantations on ancient woodland sites back to native deciduous woodland and temperate rainforest. Use of this material directly links the building to ongoing landscape restoration efforts.

That story will continue over the coming weeks. Once the windows are fitted, exterior cladding will go on, predominantly using western red cedar, also supplied by the Woodland Trust. This timber is naturally durable and oily, requiring minimal treatment to stay weatherproof, further reducing the building's long-term environmental impact and maintenance needs.

Sustainability at the core

As the building sits entirely within the NNR , sustainability and environmental sensitivity have shaped every part of the project.

The facility will operate fully off-grid. Water will be supplied through rainwater harvesting and, where appropriate, the adjacent stream. Solar panels will feed a substantial battery storage system, with approximately 30 kVA of capacity, significantly reducing reliance on fossil fuels and allowing the building to run silently for much of the year.

Due to the building's location in a steep-sided, wooded Dartmoor valley, power generation can be limited during periods of low sunlight, particularly in winter. As a result, a generator will remain part of the energy system, although it has been relocated further from the building and will be used far less frequently. The battery system ensures that low-level power demands, such as lighting, no longer require the generator to run continuously. During summer months, generator use is unlikely to be needed.

Heating will be provided primarily by a gasification boiler rather than electric systems. Combined with exceptionally high levels of insulation, this means the building will need very little energy input to stay comfortable year-round. While not formally certified as a passive building, it has been designed to perform close to passive standards within practical and budgetary constraints.

Looking ahead

Once finished, the new centre will play a key role in supporting engagement, events and activities, having been designed specifically to enable and promote this kind of activity.

The old woodland centre has long been a hub for the local community, with schools, universities and student nurses among those who have used the space over the years. We want to build on that success.

As the new centre takes shape, we're keen to work with local organisations, partners across the sector, and community groups to explore additional uses and reach new people.

If you'd like to be part of that conversation we'd love to hear from you, so do get in touch. Keep an eye on the East Dartmoor NNR social channels for more updates as the building work heads towards completion at the end of the year.