The farm was created in late Saxon times, which makes the farm nearly 10 centuries old. As the farm is so old it has a long and rich history and is linked to many interesting characters. The farm has been owned by knights, auctioneers, lords, parliamentarians and royalists, lawyers and a mayor of London.

Originally Woodoaks farm was called Woodwick or Woodwicks and was under the jurisdiction of St Albans Abbey. It became the Manor of Woodwick in the twelfth century when it became a Knight’s Fee. St Albans Abbey had six knights and gave out land that it owned to these knights in the form of a Knight’s Fee. Woodwicks counted as 1/7 of a Knight’s Fee.

The Black Barn is a 16th Century listed building, and is at home on Woodoaks Farm. The building itself is quite a sight, with creativity and history engrained into the woodwork, and the potential to be something very special indeed. The Woodoaks Association aim to bring the barn back to life, and with it’s renovation, the ability to provide a central hub for the entire community to benefit from. The hope is that it will be a space for pretty much everyone and everything. From drama classes, book clubs, sport groups to private events, it would provide something very original for whoever visits it.

We are also under threat of a service station wanting to be built on one of our fields which as I am sure you can imagine would completely ruin the agriculture and its surroundings.

With a world where technology rules most of our daily lives, the Woodoaks Association truly is a breath of fresh air. Their ability to install creativity and enthusiasm into the minds of both the young and old is a testament to the hard work they put in to everything they offer. From birthday parties to holiday courses to their local community theatre, the need to use our natural world for inspiration, rather than turning to our computer screens, is so imperative, and it makes for some really magical moments.