Tales from Tortworth: Volunteer Ronnie’s story
Join us as we celebrate our 10th year with heartfelt stories from those who’ve been part of our journey. Below we hear from a fabulous volunteer, Ronnie.
I’ve loved Tortworth from the moment a friend brought me to an open day about 4 years ago and I still get the same great feeling of joy and contentment coming through the gate and seeing the roundhouse that I did on my first visit (even though the roundhouse is not the same!).
It’s very special having a place in nature that you can get to know so well, almost like coming home. You see all the changes through the year, both in the trees and through the work that you do. Working with trees changes your sense of time and your place in it. You become a part of something that goes on way into the future. I think that’s why I particularly love being among the redwoods.
I really enjoy all the new skills I’ve learned, especially scything, log splitting and building the footbridges and round log stacks. I get a wonderful sense of connection from using the same techniques as people hundreds of years ago. It’s amazing seeing what we achieve as a group during the day – and the people here are very special too. Also the lunches are delicious!
Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage. Our 10th anniversary celebration is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to collect and share stories like these, and of course organise our free #Tortworthturns10 event in the woods on 26th April 2025.
