Course Date Location Info Cost Select
2010 Course Brochure 01/01/2010 Godinton House, Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent. TN23 3BP If you would like to receive a free 2010 course brochure as soon as it has been printed via post or email (pdf approx. 3.5MB in size) simply forward me your postal or email address. £0
Voluntary Work Experience 07/01/2010 Sparkes Gill Wood, Rolvenden, Kent. I now run a weekly volunteer programme at Sparkes Gill Wood where you can learn 'hands on' coppice craft skills. From woodland management to finished products. No previous experience is required but self motivation & a strong work ethic is essential. If you would like to be considered for a placement simply request an application form. £0
Willow Cultivation 13/02/2010 Godinton House, Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent. TN23 3BP Learn how to plant out a withy bed using 'setts' whilst harvesting an existing crop. Guidance on spacing, ground preparation, maintenance and different harvesting techniques will all be explored. Fully Booked
Living Willow Chairs 20/02/2010 Godinton House, Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent. TN23 3BP Learn how to weave & grow your own living willow chair. Make sure you have a special place in the garden to plant it. Fully Booked
Hedgerow Basketry 06/03/2010 Godinton House, Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent. TN23 3BP See hedgerows in a completely new light. There's a fantastic array of colours and textures available from a wide range of hedgerow materials. Learn how to use them to weave your own contemporary style round basket. Suitable for complete beginners or those with some previous basketry experience. Fully Booked
Hedgelaying 13/03/2010 Sparkes Gill Wood, Rolvenden, Kent. A well managed hedge has always been far more effective than a fence, not to mention its long term benefits to wildlife. You will learn not only how, but why hedges should be managed with this traditional technique.
Fully Booked
Wattle Hazel Hurdles 19/03/2010 Woodland Enterprise Centre, Flimwell, East Sussex. TN5 7PR Learn to weave a hazel wattle hurdle for your garden, allotment or small holding. Splitting, weaving & construction techniques will all be covered. Fully Booked
Hedgerow Basketry 20/03/2010 Godinton House, Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent. TN23 3BP See hedgerows in a completely new light. There's a fantastic array of colours and textures available from a wide range of hedgerow materials. Learn how to use them to weave your own contemporary style round basket. Suitable for complete beginners or those with some previous basketry experience. Fully Booked
Woodland Activity Day 04/04/2010 Sparkes Gill Wood, Rolvenden, Kent. A day of fun, excitement, adventure and discovery in some of Kent's most beautiful ancient woodland. Fire lighting, woodland crafts, archery, food foraging, guided nature walk, camp fire cooking and much, much more. Fully Booked
Wattle Hazel Hurdles 17/04/2010 Godinton House, Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent. TN23 3BP Learn how to split hazel rods in preparation for weaving your hurdle. Then weave them into a strong, long lasting & pleasing to the eye wattle hurdle. Ideal for the farm, small holding or garden. Fully Booked
Garden Plant Supports 18/04/2010 Godinton House, Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent. TN23 3BP You can choose to make either a conical (wig wam) type plant support, trellis or a woven willow hurdle panel. All made to measure for your own garden using Willow &/or Hazel. Fully Booked
Willow Basketry 24/04/2010 Godinton House, Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent. TN23 3BP Using both traditional and contemporary techniques learn to weave a round basket from a wide variety of willows using the stake & strand method. History, cultivation and preparation of materials will also be covered. This workshop is suitable for both complete beginners or those with some experience wishing to improve their techniques. Fully Booked
Shave Horses 08/05/2010 Godinton House, Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent. TN23 3BP From a hand full of round logs learn how to make a useful shaving horse device to take home. An ideal introduction into working
with green or round wood. It involves many of the basic coppice craft skills such as cleaving, shaving & mortising. Fully Booked
Willow Sculpture 15/05/2010 Godinton House, Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent. TN23 3BP Plaiting, weaving, tying and binding will all be used to create several different animals and geometric shapes. Then you can have a go at creating your own masterpiece. Fully Booked
Willow Weaving Taster Day 16/05/2010 High Elms Country Park BR6 7JH Have a go at weaving & plaiting lots of small items to take home, including a willow platter. Ideal introduction for all age ranges & abilities. Fully Booked
Splitting, Cleaving & Riving 22/05/2010 Godinton House, Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent. TN23 3BP The focus will be on splitting & cleaving small diameter rods & poles into skeins, splints & taws suitable for bonds & basketry use. Willow, Hazel, Sweet Chestnut & Ash will all be used but split in different ways & planes. Proper use of hooks, knives & cleaves will be shown as well as several hand techniques. Fully Booked
Splitting, Cleaving & Riving 23/05/2010 Godinton House, Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent. TN23 3BP The focus on this day will be on poles & logs from 2"s in diameter upwards. Learn to cleave laths, spars, shingles, rails, pailings & stakes from Oak, Hazel & Sweet Chestnut. Proper use of froe, brake, riving post, bill hook, axe & wedges will all be shown. Fully Booked
Trug Making 05/06/2010 Bore Place, Chiddingston Causeway, Kent. TN8 7AR A brief history of the trug will be given & possible alternative materials. Then you'll learn how to cleave & shave the handles & rims before steam bending them into shape. You'll shave the boards down to a very fine smooth finish, shape them & then nail them home. Fully Booked
Frame Baskets 12/06/2010 Godinton House, Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent. TN23 3BP Using a combination of Willow & Hazel, learn to make a gypsy style frame basket. From forming the frame to randing the last weaver. Suitable for both beginners or those with some basketry experience. Fully Booked
Woodland Fathers Day 20/06/2010 Sparkes Gill Wood, Rolvenden, Kent. A great chance for Dad to get out of the house & back to nature in the woods. Fire lighting, spoon carving, archery, guided nature walk & woodland crafts will all be on the menu along with a camp fire lunch. A great day out in Sparkes Gill Wood for that special Dad. Fully Booked
Druid Oak Chairs 26/06/2010 Godinton House, Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent. TN23 3BP Create a beautiful chair for the home or garden from locally grown Kentish Oak using simple hand tools. The beauty of this ancient design lies in its simplicity. Fully Booked
Sweet Chestnut Gate Hurdles 10/07/2010 Godinton House, Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent. TN23 3BP Get to grips with cleaving, shaving, mortising & shaping tenons. Then brace & strop your mini sweet chestnut gate hurdle together. Ideal for the farm, allotment or garden. Fully Booked
Tree Identification & Behaviour 11/07/2010 Godinton House, Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent. TN23 3BP The first part of the day will focus on some basic tree identification. Followed by a guided walk around the beautiful grounds at Godinton. There are some spectacular ancient veteran trees & these will be used to demonstrate how a trees behaviour changes as it grows & responds to different situations or management practices during their lifetime & beyond. Fully Booked
Sweet Chestnut Gate Hurdles 16/07/2010 Woodland Enterprise Centre, Flimwell, East Sussex. TN5 7PR Make a small gate hurdle from sweet chestnut. Cleaving, shaving & morticing will all be covered during the process of making your own gate hurdle. Fully Booked
Environmental Art 17/07/2010 Godinton House, Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent. TN23 3BP Using completely natural materials you can create some very striking & creative forms in both 2D & 3D. Spend the day exploring various transformation techniques whilst creating your work of art from the natural environment. Fully Booked
Willow Bird Figures 18/07/2010 Godinton House, Godinton Lane, Ahsford, Kent. TN23 3BP Learn to make a sculptural bird figure of your choice using 'random' weaving techniques from willow & hazel. Makes an ideal gift or unique garden ornament. Fully Booked
Traditional Charcoal Earth Burn 11/08/2010 Ashdown Forest This year there will be a full double tier traditional charcoal earth burn to celebrate St. Alexander's Day with many other traditional coppice craft courses been run along side it. From Swill Baskets to Besom Brooms & from Gate Hurdles to Clogs. Many leading UK craftsman will be running these course, please email me for the full list & booking info. Fully Booked
Willow Basketry 25/09/2010 Godinton House, Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent. TN23 3BP Using both traditional and contemporary techniques learn to weave a round stake & strand basket from a wide variety of willows. History, cultivation and preparation of materials will also be covered. This workshop is suitable for both complete beginners and those with some experience wishing to improve their techniques. Fully Booked
Woodland Management 02/10/2010 Godinton House, Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent. TN23 3BP Own your own wood? Or looking to learn more about Woodland Management? Learn how to piece together a sound management
plan for a woodland & what things in particular you should be doing to maintain or preserve it. Woodland types, applicable laws & sound management practices will all be discussed. £40
Twined Basketry 03/10/2010 Godinton House, Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent. TN23 3BP Although twining is an ancient technique, the thrust of this workshop will be on more contemporary shapes & ideas. You can choose from a wide variety of natural or recycled materials to create your twined basket. The twining technique lends itself very well to more creative & organic forms. £65
Willow Weaving Taster Day 16/10/2010 Cuffley Outdoor Centre, Carbone Hill, Cuffley, Hertfordshire. EN6 4PR Have a go at weaving & plaiting lots of small items to take home, including a willow platter. Ideal introduction into willow weaving for all age ranges & abilities. £65
Besom Brooms 24/10/2010 Godinton House, Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent. TN23 3BP An essential tool for the house & garden, learn how to make your own entirely from locally coppiced wood. Just in time for the Halloween festivities. £25
Coppicing 27/11/2010 Sparkes Gill Wood, Rolvenden, Kent. Coppicing native broadleaf trees in winter is a traditional form of woodland management which also benefits wildlife biodiversity. Learn the basic skills using hand tools and find out what different products can be fashioned from the freshly cut wood. £40
Yule Decorations 04/12/2010 Godinton House, Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent. TN23 3BP Using completely natural materials you'll make a colourful wreath. You can then choose to make more decorative hangings or a table centre piece to brighten up your home during Yule time. Fully Booked
