Management of Moss and Height Spring Wood has been leased by the Woodland Trust to the Bill Hogarth MBE Memorial Apprenticeship Trust.

Brian Crawley has written an article about the history of these woods and information about our plans for it. Read the article here

6th Jan 2012

BHMAT is lookng for a new treasurer to take over from our current treasurer who has sadly moved away to Scotland. If you are interested then please email info@coppiceapprentice.org.uk.
13th Dec 2011

The Coppice Association North West have just released details about their 2012 Weekend in the Woods event. Go to their home page and then download the PDF of the course details from the "LATEST NEWS" section.
2nd Oct 2011

If you had come down to the woods that week you'd have seen all sorts of activities: pole lathe turning, musical instruments wacking, charcoal raking, clothes hook whittling, furniture constructing, kettle boiling, cake munching, oak beam hewing, gypsy flower shaving, wood riving and more.

On the left you can see the fruits of Ian Taylor's group with the almost finished oak bridge to replace the old, odd-angled plank that we've precariously used over the years.

Follow the link on the left to "pioneer", then WP2011 to see the latest photos from the week.
1st Oct 2011

Another Success! Woodland Pioneers 2010 ran from Monday 13th September until Friday 17th September and was intended to target people who are interested in the apprenticeship scheme and woodland crafts. See the photos.

There were four one day courses for all newcomers: Treen, making small wood items (Twiggy), Green wood stool making (Ian Taylor), Riven oak panels (Owen Jones), Coppicing skills (Rebecca Oaks).

And advanced workshops: Make your own shave horse (Maurice Pyle), Stick chairs (James Mitchell), Earthburn charcoal (Brian Crawley).

Friday was an open day with various short woodcraft workshops including: tree identification, willow work, mallet making, hurdles, besoms and tool care, plus a chance to hear more about the apprenticeship and to register interest.
25th Sept 2010

The scheme, validated by Ascentis (formerly known as the Open College North West), is a three year Diploma course. BHMAT takes on two or three apprentices each year. The apprentices are based with a coppice business and receive specialist training in all aspects of the coppice industry. Each apprentice receives a small bursary of £3000 pa plus they can receive recompense for work within their placement. Assessment is based on practical skills and a percentage of written coursework. Successful apprentices are awarded the Bill Hogarth Coppice Diploma and are fully equipped at the end of three years to set up their own coppice business.

To be eligible to apply to either the BHMAT scheme (specific to the North of England) or the National Coppice Apprenticeship Scheme (NCAS) run through the Green Wood Centre (also based on the BHMAT model but now running nationally) applicants must have attended a Woodland Pioneers week course with either BHMAT (see above) or NCAS.

The book Bill was writing when he died in 1999, edited by Alan Shepley and published by Wood Education Programme Trust, is available from BHMAT for £6.50 (P&P: £1.50 within UK mainland, £3 for elsewhere).

All profits will be shared equally between BHMAT and the Wood Education Programme Trust. Contact details are here.