Darlington Craft Shop Woodland Creations announces closure

Woodland Creations, located in Queen Street Shopping Centre, opened in October 2024, originally as a three-month pop-up venture.

However, the store quickly became a permanent fixture in the town centre, offering handmade goods from local crafters and a welcoming space for residents to pop in and have a chat.

Run by Darlington couple Lorraine Dunn, 72, and Alastair Dunn, 74, the pair said running the shop over the past 15 months has been an “absolute ball”.

Lorraine Dunn, 72 (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

Lorraine said: “We’ve been open for 15 months and we’ve had a brilliant time. We were only planning to open for three months, but we stayed and have met so many lovely people since being here.

“It’s been amazing to offer local crafters the opportunity to put their work in here. We’ve had an absolute ball and are really sad to be leaving.”

Woodland Creations showcased the talents of about 21 local traders from Darlington and Newton Aycliffe, selling everything from crochet items and wooden crafts to glasswork and homemade chutneys.

However, due to licensing issues, the shop owners made the difficult decision to close.

Woodland Creations, located in Queen Street Shopping Centre (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

Announcing the news yesterday (December 29), the owners shared that it has been “such a pleasure to chat and laugh with so many of you”.

Over the year, the shop has become a staple community hub, particularly for residents affected by dementia.

Lorraine, who suffers from dementia herself, often offers guidance to visitors, hands out resources, and provides a seat for customers to have a chat.

Alastair said: “We had a fantastic Christmas with 20 to 30 people in the shop at a time. People are very sad – it’s more than just a shop to them.

“We have seven or eight regular pensioners who come in, sit down, and have a proper conversation. People have said Darlington really needs a place like this, and it will certainly be missed.”

Despite the closure, Woodland Creations plans to continue sharing its crafts next year on an online platform, and has stressed that customers shouldn’t hesitate to get in contact.

Lorraine said: “We hope to open an eBay shop and perhaps an Etsy shop in the future, as well as posting our creations on Facebook.

“We have thoroughly enjoyed our time here and cannot thank the customers enough for their support and friendship.”