— Live demonstration
From woodland to useful timber: a live demonstration at Marston Vale
See a Peterson WPF in action in Bedfordshire on 19 October 2026.
What could the timber in your woodland become? Join National Sawmills at Reynolds & Holcot Woods for a practical demonstration of mobile sawmilling. See the process, ask questions and explore the possibilities for your own timber.
- Date & time
- Monday 19 October 2026 · 10 am
- Admission
- Free to attend
- Venue
- Reynolds & Holcot Woods
Forest of Marston Vale
Bedfordshire, MK17 8BW - Find the demonstration
- ///spend.crouches.titles ↗
See what your timber could become
A log is the beginning of a project. The next decisions determine what it can become: boards, beams, fencing, cladding or material for furniture.
On 19 October, we will be demonstrating a Peterson Winch Production Frame (WPF) sawmill at the Forest of Marston Vale. The focus is local timber conversion: bringing processing capability closer to the material and showing the practical steps between a log and usable boards.
Whether you have a particular project in mind or simply want to understand the process, seeing a mill working is a useful place to start.
The timber behind the demonstration
The photographs below show the logs in our Bedfordshire material. Each piece presents a different set of decisions: where to make the first cut, how to work around its shape and what useful sections might be produced.
That is what we want to explore on the day. Mobile sawmilling starts with the material available and the question of what it could become. Seeing that process helps connect the logs in a woodland with the boards needed for a project.
The demonstration
We will use the WPF to show the log-to-board process and talk through the decisions behind the cuts. Bring the questions that matter to your woodland, farm or business.
The material
Look at the timber available and discuss how its size, shape and condition influence the milling plan.
The process
See the Peterson WPF operating and how cutting decisions turn a log into useful sections.
The possibilities
Discuss intended uses for the timber and what needs to happen after milling, including storage and drying.
Your project
Talk with National Sawmills about the questions raised by your own logs, access and working requirements.
Explore the Peterson WPF ahead of the event, or visit our sawmill demonstrations page for other ways to see a Peterson working.
Who should come?
The demonstration is for people interested in making more use of timber: woodland owners, farmers, estate managers, existing sawmillers and those exploring a new timber business.
You are equally welcome if you have an individual project and want to understand whether mobile sawmilling could help.
Bring your questions
- What timber have you got, and what would you like to make?
- How would access and log handling affect the work?
- Would a mobile sawmill suit the scale of your operation?
- What happens to the boards after the first cut?
Photos and approximate log dimensions can help us discuss a specific project. There is no need to have every answer before you visit.
The event at a glance
Finding us
The demonstration is at Reynolds & Holcot Woods, MK17 8BW. Use ///spend.crouches.titles to locate the event. Please contact Jerry if you need help with directions or attendance information.
Come and see the process
Free to attend · Monday 19 October · 10 am
Reynolds & Holcot Woods, Bedfordshire
Contact Jerry: hello@nationalsawmills.co.uk
07411 004537