This five day course will focus on giving you the confidence and skills with hand tools to make a wide range of products with Greenwood and bark.

For me, working in the woods with a billhook and axe, coppicing, planting and gathering my own materials is inherent to making my crafts.  The stuff I make is connected to the seasons and the landscape in a way that no bought piece of furniture could ever be.

Using as much of the material as possible is incredibly important to me so on this course we will not only spend the days learning tool skills and making crafts but also spend the evenings cooking on the fire and creating birch tar.  We will make a simple brush from birch brash, making cordage from nettles and using the bark from the green wood to weave and make tool sheaths, possibly some foraged, infused gins and teas may also make an appearance.

During the week I will show you how to coppice small diameter willow and hazel and how to use tools such as an axe, drawknife and carving knife to safely and efficiently collect your own materials, process and make woodland crafts.

You do not have to be big or strong to use these tools, it is about good technique and practice and finding the right way to do things with your own body.

Over the week, we will learn the skills to make kitchen utensils, had carved bowls, a simple stool,  and bark woven bags.

So come and learn some new skills, make friends and indulge yourselves in the woods for a week.

If you wish to stay over, there is the option of staying in your own tent, bringing your campervan or stay in our handmade shepherds hut for a little bit of luxury.

Breakfast will be self service, bring your own, food at Midday will be a vegetarian soup provided for everyone and the evening meal will be cooked by the course attendees and cooked over the fire on a bbq or in our wood fired oven.

£395.00

8th – 12th August 2020

10.00 am – 5.00pm