This summer I am planning to build a green oak / sweet chestnut barn in Crenver grove woods for the Sustainable Trust, a local charity involved in ecological restoration and enviromental education. The idea is to make a decent size building using trees from the woods, which can then be used to run future courses and educational workshops. As part of the process we are going to be offering a series of courses on traditional timber framing and ancient woodworking over the summer/autumn. This will be an opportunity to learn in-depth the techniques and skills needed to construct post and beam timber buildings using hand tools. I have been teaching this for nearly ten years now and am intending to make this course a special one, with loads of interesting tools and methods included, and a grand raising day at the end..

The courses will probably be 5 day duration over 3 weeks in the summer, with probably a week of voluntary work for shingling the roof. There are no finalsed dates yet, but if you are interested in attending a course you should contact Pip Richards who heads the trust-
sustrust@aol.com
01209 831718
07789600941

spring in the air

It has been quite some time since I have posted anything but like the trees, the woodland workshop has been dormant for the winter and I have been busy with my more 'conventional' carpentry work. I have really enjoyed working on a barn conversion for a friend, making a kitchen, doors, laying floors etc but with the warming weather I am very much looking forward to getting out in the fresh open air of the woods and hefting an axe and a drawknife again..
Lin and I are planning and preparing for the next round of summer courses. Lin has been doing an amazing job designing and building our new website, which will be going live hopefully in the next week... I meanwhile will be busy sourcing wood for some of the coming courses and also playing with some new ideas for courses, as well as building more doors, stairs etc etc...
We will be displaying and selling at various shows and fairs from easter onwards. Here is a brief list.

Trerife Easter fair             8th 9th April 
Trelissick woodland day  14th April
Royal Cornwall show       7th 8th 9th June

Do come and check us out if you are there..