A Great Oak Table in the Woods

Our Stretch Goal

Alan Lee, the Oscar winning concept artist for the Lord of the Rings film trilogy has designed an extraordinary throne for the Great Oak Table. This isn't really a throne for humans to sit on. Rather, it will remain empty, a symbol of the larger world of which we are all part, the great web of life.

Here's a video of Alan talking about the Oak Throne.

We're raising funds to honour a 500-year-old oak tree which fell in a storm. From this monumental tree, we're building an inspirational table, the longest table in the world crafted from a single English Oak Tree, a table that will itself endure for another 500 years.

The table will be located within Pigwiggen Wood, a small, magical woodland on the edge of Dartmoor. We hope that this will become more than a local community project, and that even for those who may never visit in person, the Great Oak Table will serve as a potent symbol of a kinder, more hospitable world.

Rewards in Brief

(scroll down to see full descriptions of the ways we'd love to say THANK YOU. )

• £10 A digital album of the dawn chorus in early summer - a magical soundtrack to accompany your daily life
• £25 Supporters Pack - some goodies including an enchanting art print
• £45Your name inscribed on a pillar of the Tudor Oak - a permanent record of your generosity and support
• £85Membership of 'Faraway Friends of Pigwiggen Wood' - build an intimate connection with the wood throughout the seasons of the year wherever you live in the world
• £125A ticket to the inaugural Midsummer Feast - just YUM!
• £250Sponsor an Oak Tree - your very own oak lovingly cherished for the future
• £400Sponsor an Oak Bench - your name or that of a loved one engraved on a brass plaque which will shimmer with the ever-moving reflection of trees
• £1,000Sponsor one of the four mighty table-top slabs - your name immortalised on an oak plaque attached to one of the massive oak trestles. (all four table top slabs now sponsored! THANK YOU!)

Sharing the Magic

We have always shared this special place with others, gently celebrating the seasons of the year, and enjoying feeding our volunteers. We've fed dozens of hungry people, brewed countless cups of tea, and baked masses of cakes. It's so exciting to see nature and community thriving together, offering hope that a more resilient, connected and sustainable future is possible for us all.

About Pigwiggen Wood

Pigwiggen Wood hasn't always been so idyllic. When we bought this patch of low grade land at auction eighteen years ago, it was a mess! Old tyres, decaying plastic chemical fertiliser bags, and EVEN a leaking tar barrel had been dumped in the stream. Rusty barbed wire lurked in the undergrowth, and brambles and bracken ran amok, suffocating the baby trees, bluebells, and orchids.

Nevertheless, we fell in love with our little hidden valley, and over the years, with generous help from wonderful volunteers, we've gently managed it for biodiversity, learning as we go along. It's thrilling to witness what happens when you give nature a chance. Every year more and more species make their home in Pigwiggen Wood. We have dormice, bees, frogs, tawny owls, and badgers, violet ground beetles, terracotta hedgehog mushrooms (edible!) early purple orchids, dragonflies, and that revered plant of mediaeval herbalists, wood betony.

Today, the whole woodland exudes enchantment.

The Story of a Tudor Oak Tree

Long ago, on an old estate in mid-Devon, a little acorn fell to the ground and sent out a tentative shoot. The baby oak became a sapling, then a young tree, then a mighty field oak. It towered over the hedgerows for five hundred years. Wars, plagues, and politics passed it by.

A mature oak can support more than 2,000 different species. Can you imagine the birds that sang in its branches? Or the animals that sheltered beneath its canopy? The people who gathered, the children who played, the lovers who kissed, the small creatures whose entire lives were lived out on its trunk, branches, leaves? Hundreds of years and thousands of lives. What stories must be held in the grain, in its rings of growth!

Tragically, at the dawn of the 21st century, the tree fell victim to a savage storm. But its owner could see the nobility remaining in this great tree and couldn't bear to have it chopped up for firewood. For fifteen years, the tree rested quietly awaiting its fate.

Following a year-long search, we heard about this fantastic tree, and this is what we found when we first went to meet our Tudor Oak:

Its owner would only sell it for a project that was worthy of its rarity. 

This is that project. And you can be a part of it!

Honouring an Ancient Oak

We want to create an enchanted space where people can gather to share food, friendship, and lively conversation. 

We will open up the table for community events such as parish picnics, immersion days for the local primary school children, and quiet days when visitors can ditch their to-do lists and simply read, paint, or relax in the dancing shadows of the leaves. 

But there's more: once in a while on one of those rare English summer evenings when the moon is bright and the sky is clear, the woodland glade will become a fairytale space for people to gather. There will be food and fellowship under the trees, the telling of tales and the sound of the harp.

One single moment of enchantment can change a life!

The Project So Far

Thanks to seed funding from a generous donor, we were able to buy the original oak tree. Its vast trunk was cut into four monumental slabs, each weighing more than a ton.

The remainder of the tree was cut into massive square posts which have been fashioned into stretchers and epic table legs. One of our volunteers generously sponsored footing stones of solid Dartmoor granite, and he and his wife spent an entire weekend carefully laying each stone into position.

Here's a pic of our incredible young carpenter, James Trigg, aka BJ. He has devoted his heart and soul to the heroic task of crafting the Table. Our brief to him:

"You must build it so strong that your new baby's great grandchildren will be able to turn cartwheels along its length!"

We had a lot of fun lifting the huge slabs of oak onto the completed trestles!

(photo by Claire Shauna-Saunders of Little Ghost Photography)

What's it all going to cost?

In addition to the seed-funding to buy the original oak, we also benefitted from an interest-free loan to get the project under way. We now need to pay back that loan and build 16 good sturdy benches.

Here's a breakdown:

• Materials and Labour so far: £11,175
• Estimated remaining carpentry costs: £1,500
• Oak for bench tops: £1,600 (there's enough wood left from the Tudor Oak for the bench legs)
• Specially made hidden stainless steel brackets to secure the table top: £200
• Eco-friendly wood oil for preservation: £400.

This totals £14,875, hence our target of £15,000. Phew!

Protecting the Peace and Quiet of the Woods

Caring for the trees and preserving the quiet magic of Pigwiggen Wood remains our greatest priority. We will work hard to keep a healthy balance between humans and all the other living beings for whom Pigwiggen Wood is home. 

Maintaining a safe haven

The Great Oak Table stands within a new section of the wood which was planted twenty years ago. This location is safely set apart from the older areas of woodland where the delicate ecosystem must be protected. The photo above shows our small remnant of temperate rainforest, one of the rarest habitats on earth. Isn't it amazing?!

How we would like to thank you

We've put together some wonderful rewards. Everyone who donates £10 or above will receive a digital album of the dawn chorus. We'll weave subtle threads of harp music through the birdsong and produce the album next May, when the dawn chorus is at its most beautiful. A perfect background soundtrack to enhance your daily activities.

£25 Supporters' Pack

Our friend, the acclaimed artist Kathleen Jennings has designed and hand cut this remarkable silhouette image. You'll receive:

• an A5 (148 x 210 mm) art print of Kathleen's design (unframed)
• a 'Friends of Pigwiggen Wood' sticker
• a set of six Pigwiggen Wood postcards
• PLUS the digital album.

£45 Your name inscribed on a square pillar from the original Tudor Oak

The Tudor Oak Pillar will be positioned along the path to the table. You'll be able to walk around it, and your name will be engraved on Welsh slate panels which will complement the silver-grey of the wood. We'll add an attractive finial and brackets to hang lanterns on. It should look gorgeous! PLUS the digital album.

£85 Membership of the Faraway Friends

We've celebrated the cyclical seasons of the year for over fifteen years, and have found this practice to be incredibly nourishing. Eight times a year, around the time of the equinoxes, solstices, plus the midpoints between these solar events, you'll be invited to an online gathering of like-minded people. You'll see the seasonal changes within the wood, learn more about the trees, plus receive guidance on how to connect with the ebb and flow of light and dark as the wheel of the year turns.  We're very excited about this VIP membership, having seen similar offerings selling for hundreds of pounds, but they're merely generic, without the intimate connection to a specific place. We hope that this will help all participants to deepen their connection to the living earth. Membership lasts throughout 2025. PLUS the digital album!

£125 A Midsummer Night's Dream

We want to create something utterly magical for 40 guests, and serve a delicious and generous feast. (Welcome drink included). The ticket element is £75 and the remaining £50 is a donation to the Great Oak Table. Of course we're hoping for beautiful weather and an enchanted woodland hung with fairy lights and lanterns. We will organise cover if it's a bit drizzly. If the weather is stormy, then we'll reschedule. If the weather also scuppers Plan B, we will refund you the ticket element (£75) of this reward. Fingers crossed for a Midsummer Feast to remember forever. PLUS the digital album!

£250 Sponsor an Oak Tree

The area around the Great Oak Table was planted twenty years ago with British broadleaf trees including oaks. We've selected twenty of the most vigorous youngsters. Your tree will be one of these oaks, and it will become a legacy oak as this young oakwood develops. This reward also includes a chance to visit your tree which can be arranged at a mutually convenient time. PLUS the digital album AND your name on the Supporters Oak Pillar!

£400 Sponsor an Oak Bench

The oak benches are just beautiful, and will last for many, many years. The legs are crafted from the original Tudor Oak, and the bench tops are strong heartwood from Devon oak trees. Your gift will be acknowledged with a high-quality brass plaque engraved with your chosen text. A beautiful way to commemorate a loved one or to celebrate your own connection to this special place. There's up to four lines of text for your dedication.

£1,000 Sponsor one of the four mighty oak slabs

The top reward. These colossal slabs of oak have such a sense of history and presence. It's breathtaking! They're so tactile, you simply can't help stroking them. In acknowledgement of your philanthropy, your name or that of a loved one will be carved into an oak plaque fixed to one of the four massive trestles supporting a mighty slab.

Furthermore, we will be so honoured to welcome you into the woods, feed you lunch, and thank you in person for your incredible gift. Bring friends and family up to a maximum of eight guests. This reward includes the digital album AND your name on the Supporters Oak Pillar!

But most special of all, your chosen name will endure on the Great Oak Table itself for future generations.

Thank you for visiting our crowdfunding page. We are so grateful to whatever support you can give us. If you're unable to make a donation, you can still be a brilliant support by sharing the project and helping to spread the word. Every donation however small, every share, every interaction with our social media posts, makes a difference.

We are incredibly grateful to every single one of you. Whatever you are able to do, you will be part of the story of the Tudor Oak forever.