what do we do?
Reclaimed Wood Collection
Every year huge amounts of usable timber is thrown away. The Elderwood Project collects unwanted wood including pallets, scaffold boards, offcuts, and fallen trees that would otherwise end up in landfill.
By rescuing and reclaiming timber from local businesses, construction sites, and households, we give old wood a second life while reducing waste and supporting sustainable reuse.
If you have unwanted timber or wood that needs collecting, we are always happy to hear from you.
Sustainable Woodworking
At the heart of The Elderwood Project is the craft of transforming reclaimed timber into beautiful and useful items. Each piece of wood we recover has a story, and we work to preserve that character through traditional woodworking techniques.
From handcrafted home décor and Norse-inspired designs to practical everyday items, everything we create is made from 100 percent reclaimed wood. No two pieces are ever the same.
Community Workshop and Skills
The long term vision of The Elderwood Project is to build a community woodworking space where people can learn practical skills, work with reclaimed timber, and take part in creative projects.
By teaching woodworking, pyrography, and traditional craft techniques, we aim to give people the confidence to create something meaningful while promoting sustainability and reducing waste.
F.A.Q.
Ask away!
We accept most forms of clean, usable wood that can be reclaimed and reused in woodworking and community projects.
This includes pallets, scaffold boards, timber offcuts, wooden furniture, shelving, wooden crates, and untreated construction timber.
We also welcome reclaimed wood from renovations, fallen trees, and surplus timber from businesses or warehouses.
Where possible, we try to reuse as much material as we can, turning unwanted wood into handcrafted items, workshop projects, and community builds.
If you are unsure whether something is suitable, feel free to contact us with a photo and we will happily take a look.
What we usually accept
Pallets
Scaffold boards
Timber offcuts
Wooden crates and boxes
Reclaimed furniture wood
Shelving and timber panels
Fallen trees or salvaged logs
Reclaimed construction timber
What we usually cannot accept
Pressure treated or heavily contaminated wood
Rotten or heavily damaged timber
Chipboard or MDF that is falling apart
Wood that contains large amounts of metal or hazardous materials
Our goal is simple: rescue usable wood before it goes to landfill and give it a second life through craft and community projects.
Yes, in many cases we can collect unwanted wood.
The Elderwood Project works to rescue usable timber before it goes to landfill. We regularly collect items such as pallets, scaffold boards, timber offcuts, wooden furniture, and other reclaimed wood from businesses, construction sites, warehouses, and households.
We currently offer collection in Otley, Ilkley, Guiseley, Yeadon, Menston, Burley in Wharfedale, Shipley, and the surrounding areas.
Collection depends on the quantity of wood, location, and whether the materials are suitable for reuse. If you have a larger amount of timber or regular surplus wood, we are often able to arrange collection.
If you would like us to collect wood, please contact us with a short description and a photo if possible. This helps us confirm whether the materials are suitable and arrange a collection.
Our goal is simple: save usable wood from landfill and give it a second life through craft, community projects, and sustainable woodworking.
Of course!
As we collect and process salvaged timber, we often have a range of reclaimed materials available including pallets, scaffold boards, timber offcuts, and other rescued wood suitable for DIY projects, crafts, and woodworking.
Availability changes depending on what we have recently collected, so the types and sizes of wood may vary. Some pieces may be rough and ready for workshop use, while others may be cleaned and prepared for creative projects.
By purchasing reclaimed wood from The Elderwood Project, you are helping support our mission to rescue timber from landfill, promote sustainable reuse, and develop a community woodworking space.
If you are looking for a particular type of wood, feel free to contact us and we will let you know what we currently have available or pop down and have a rummage!!
Absolutely yes, visitors are welcome!
At the moment the workshop is open to the public on Mondays and Wednesdays between 11am and 4pm. During these times you are welcome to drop in, see what we are working on, and take a look at the reclaimed wood and handmade items we currently have available.
We also run occasional pop-up openings at weekends, which we announce on our social media pages.
The Elderwood Project is still growing and, like many community projects, we are currently building it alongside our day jobs. As the project develops, our opening times will expand and we hope to welcome visitors more regularly.
If you are planning to travel specifically to see us, it is always a good idea to check our social media first to confirm we are open.
Yes. Running woodworking workshops is a key part of the long-term vision for The Elderwood Project.
As the project develops, we plan to offer hands-on workshops where people can learn practical woodworking skills using reclaimed timber. These sessions will focus on simple, accessible skills such as basic woodworking, pyrography, and creating items from salvaged wood.
The goal is to build a welcoming community space where people can learn new skills, work creatively with reclaimed materials, and gain confidence in making things by hand.
Workshops are not running regularly yet while we continue building the project, but they are something we are actively working towards and hope to introduce as the workshop grows.
