Woodland Ways

What Woodland Ways does

Woodland Ways Ltd is a privately held UK limited company (registered in England and Wales, Companies House number 05856429) that operates a dual business combining hands-on wilderness bushcraft and survival training with specialist outdoor equipment retail. The company delivers courses across a multi-venue UK footprint — including 250 acres in Oxfordshire (with 125 acres designated SSSI), 600+ acres on the Haddon Hall Estate in Derbyshire, and 100 acres in East Lothian, Scotland — alongside an international expedition programme to destinations including the Amazon, Sahara, Maasai lands, Yukon, Sweden, and Croatia. Curriculum spans single-day fundamentals (priced from $151) through multi-week survival courses, school residentials, and two-year professional programmes including IOL Bushcraft Competency Training (up to $4,505).

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model: courses are booked through woodland-ways.co.uk or by phone, and a curated e-commerce store sells bushcraft knives, axes, fire-lighting gear, Dutch ovens, sleeping systems, hydration products, and outdoor clothing from brands such as Gränsfors Bruk, Mora, Hultafors, Frost River, Petromax, and DD Hammocks. The flagship World of Bushcraft Centre in Rowsley, Derbyshire functions as a physical retail and training hub where customers can trial axes, handle knives, and attend workshops. Customer segments are diversified across individual adults, schools and youth groups, stag/hen parties, corporate teams, families, and professional development seekers.

Revenue mechanics are unit-pricing across course fees and equipment SKUs, supplemented by bespoke group bookings, gift vouchers, and a member relationship with the Institute for Outdoor Learning. The company is independently owned with no disclosed institutional investment, funding rounds, acquisitions, or leadership changes; financial performance is not publicly reported.

Name

Woodland Ways

Legal name

Woodland Ways Ltd

Website

https://woodland-ways.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Woodland Ways is a UK-based provider of hands-on bushcraft and wilderness survival training combined with specialist outdoor equipment retail, serving individual adults, schools, corporate groups, and professional outdoor instructors across multi-venue UK woodlands and international expeditions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Education and Bushcraft Training

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor & Survival Skills Lessons (Bushcraft, Navigation, Foraging) (THAJAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adventure Multi-Sport Camps & Skills Academies (THAAAKAM), Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA)

Keywords

• Bushcraft training courses
• Survival skills education
• Outdoor equipment retail
• Wilderness expedition programs
• Outdoor education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Matlock

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Course Bookings: One-time course fees ranging from single-day courses to multi-week expeditions. Includes fundamental courses, weekend experiences, foraging courses, professional development, and overseas expeditions
2. Equipment Retail: E-commerce sales of bushcraft, survival, and camping equipment including knives, axes, cookware, sleeping systems, clothing, and accessories from multiple branded suppliers
3. Group Bookings: Custom private bookings for stag/hen parties, corporate events, school groups, and birthday parties with tailored content and pricing
4. School Programmes: Bushcraft survival experiences for schools from one-day sessions to multi-day residentials including full-board accommodation in canvas bell tents

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Woodland Ways delivers hands-on bushcraft, survival and foraging training courses across multiple private UK woodland venues and international expedition destinations, alongside a curated e-commerce and physical retail store for premium bushcraft equipment. Offerings span single-day introductory courses through multi-year instructor-level qualifications, with bespoke programmes for schools, corporate groups, and private celebrations.

Product overview

Woodland Ways operates as a dual-offering business combining outdoor education with specialized equipment retail. The company provides hands-on bushcraft and survival training through courses ranging from one-day fundamentals to comprehensive 1-2 year professional programs, plus overseas expeditions to destinations including the Amazon, Sahara, and Scandinavia. Their e-commerce platform serves as a specialist retailer of premium bushcraft equipment, offering cutting tools (knives, axes, saws), fire lighting gear, cookware (Dutch ovens, camping pots), sleeping systems, hydration solutions, and outdoor clothing from brands like Gränsfors Bruk, Mora, Frost River, Petromax, and DD Hammocks. The physical World of Bushcraft Centre in Derbyshire provides retail and workshop facilities. Courses are delivered across multiple UK woodland venues in Oxfordshire, Derbyshire, and East Lothian, with dedicated programs for schools and professional development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bushcraft Courses Award-winning hands-on bushcraft training covering fundamentals such as firelighting, shelter building, knife and axe work, delivered at UK woodland venues across Oxfordshire, Derbyshire and East Lothian.
• Survival Courses
• Foraging Courses
• Overseas Expedition Courses
• Professional Development Courses
• Bushcraft Experiences for Schools
• Group Bookings (Stag/Hen, Birthday, Corporate)
• Bushcraft Equipment Retail
• World of Bushcraft Centre
• Gift Vouchers

Quantifiable outcome

• Strong positive Google reviews with verified customer feedback

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Institute for Outdoor LearningcoreOthersWoodland Ways Ltd is a member of the Institute for Outdoor Learning (membership number 7513). The IOL is the professional body for outdoor learning practitioners in the UK, providing recognition and standards for the industry.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Bushcraft Company: The Bushcraft Company delivers bushcraft and survival activity days and residentials, with strong overlap in family and corporate group segments. It is comparable on both product offering (instructor-led bushcraft courses) and target customer (UK families, schools, and groups).
• Ray Mears / Woodcraft School: Ray Mears' Woodcraft School runs bushcraft courses in the UK with a curriculum spanning fundamentals through to advanced tracking and survival skills. It competes head-to-head with Woodland Ways for adult bushcraft learners across similar price points.
• Track and Trail Ltd: Track and Trail runs outdoor and bushcraft skills courses across the UK, focused on survival training and outdoor education. Comparable as a direct competitor in bushcraft instruction with similar course menus and weekend/one-day format.
• Survival School: Survival School offers corporate and private survival training across UK woodland venues. It is comparable to Woodland Ways through its instructor-led survival course model and corporate/team-building bookings, serving overlapping customer segments.
• Bear Grylls Survival Academy: Bear Grylls Survival Academy delivers branded survival and wilderness training courses across multiple global locations. It is directly comparable to Woodland Ways as both sell hands-on survival instruction to individuals and groups, competing for the same consumer looking to learn bushcraft and survival skills.
• Cruachan Bushcraft: Cruachan Bushcraft operates from an estate in Scotland offering bushcraft and survival training similar in scope to Woodland Ways, including courses, corporate events, and team building. Comparable on course model, woodland venue approach, and target buyer (individuals and corporate groups).

Emerging players

• Go Ape: Go Ape operates adventure activity centres across the UK with team building and outdoor experiences. Compares at the broader outdoor activity experience level rather than depth of bushcraft instruction - an adjacent competitor for group, corporate, and family leisure bookings.

Broad incumbents

• Blacks (outdoor retail): Blacks is a large UK outdoor retailer carrying bushcraft-relevant categories (knives, sleeping systems, clothing). Comparable on the equipment retail arm, competing for the same bushcraft and camping customer though at a far broader assortment and lower specialist positioning.
• Cotswold Outdoor: Cotswold Outdoor is a UK-wide outdoor and expedition equipment retailer stocking clothing, footwear, and gear across many of the same categories Woodland Ways sells (knives, clothing, camping equipment). Comparable on the equipment retail side as a broad incumbent offering competing specialist products.
• Forestry England (Forest Schools programme): Forestry England operates national forest sites and educational outdoor learning programmes including guided bushcraft activities. Comparable as a much larger, state-backed provider of outdoor education experiences, particularly competing for school and family group bookings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/woodlandways
• Facebookfacebook.com/woodlandwaysbushcraft
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/woodland-ways

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Woodland Ways