Woodland Pioneers Week 2019
A really great week again in September, 2019.

Click a workshop to scroll down the page to it:
1 day workshop: Coppicing with Sam Ansell and James Benson
Students were taken off-site to a working coppice, that's why we don't have many photos! But everyone worked hard at cutting hazel stools to allow for regrowth and another harvest in about 7 years. The rods were processed into hedging stakes, pea sticks, hurdles rods and fascines using a billhook.

 
1 day workshop: Treen with Twiggy
Twiggy guided everyone through the making of spatulas, clothes pegs, gypsy flowers and more. Lots of shave horse action for clamping the wood and safe use of a carving knife, axe and drawknife.

 
1 day workshop: Stools with Helen Clarke
Split ash solid seats and legs. Very nice! Mortices were drilled into the slab seats and the stools assembled.

 
1 day workshop: Riven Oak Panels with Owen Jones
Boiled lengths of split oak can be riven (split) into thinner and thinner pieces until they become very pliable when kept damp. Rectangular frames were then made in groups and the riven oak woven onto the frame to make a panel. This method of riving oak is also used by Owen during the process of making oak swill baskets.

 
4 day workshop: Ash Splint Baskets with Adrian Lloyd
A fascinating process from ash log to basket. The log is firstly pounded with heavy metal poles to cause it to de-laminate, allowing growth-ring-thickness splints to removed. These are then dressed out and woven into beautiful baskets.

 
4 day workshop: Building Bridges with Ian Taylor, Jack Holden and Jon Scragg
A new bridge for the woods! The old one was basically a couple of half-rotten planks. The new bridge is an enormous improvement, to say the least. Solid oak heart wood beams, axed and adzed from tree logs.

 
Out and About
Here are a few more photos of around and about the woods and hall.