The Woodland Education Centre is a Forestry Commission site, created and managed by the Offwell Woodland & Wildlife Trust, a registered charity.

The Centre covers an area of 50 acres. It was probably originally cleared of woodland in ancient times for non-intensive cultivation. Old field boundaries can still be seen on the site. It is likely that the area went through alternating cycles of cultivation, followed by a return to natural vegetation, depending on the economic circumstances of the day. At one time or another, much of it must have been covered in heathland before the area was converted into pleasure gardens, created for Bishop Edward Copleston in the 1830's. Rhododendron shrubs were imported and planted throughout the pleasure gardens for the benefit of their showy masses of springtime blooms (and possibly also to act as cover for pheasants). However, as time passed, the gardens became neglected and the highly invasive rhododendron took over, creating a virtually worthless rhododendron jungle.

Work to restore the Centre began in 1986. It has now been converted to an area of great ecological significance. The rhododendron has been brought under control and many different habitats have been created specifically to meet the requirements of a wide range of plants and animals. This has led to an increasing array of biodiversity within the Centre.

The Centre is situated in a steep-sided wooded valley. As a result it is largely protected from the prevailing south westerly winds and has a much milder, warmer microclimate than surrounding areas.