Scientists do a variety of laboratory tests on timber and wood-containing composites. An example is adhesively bonded joints in such materials. Despite a wide range of empirical research, consideration of adhesive layers or surfaces in a structure is commonly done in a very simplified manner - they are often modelled as a perfect connection between adherends. It means the cohesive stiffness and opportunity of progressive delamination are neglected. This may lead to an overestimation of the structural load-bearing capacity. The article presents wood-wood and wood-CFRP adhesively bonded joints’ investigations, based on own experimental testing technique (covering a current one as a Digital Image Correlation), analytical double-lap model for adhesives and advanced numerical Finite Element approach. The aim of the paper is to give the guidelines for complex, non-linear modelling of connections in glue laminated timber and wood-CFRP composites that can be utilised for many purposes.