Weekend in the Woods 2013

We've spent the last couple of days attending the annual "Weekend in the Woods", organised by the Coppice Association North West, where we were able to learn new woodland craft skills in a beautiful (if slightly damp!) South Lakes woodland near Newby Bridge. This was our second year here, having learnt so much at least years' event. It's a great place to go if you're new to green woodwork and want to learn from experienced woodland crafts people.


The fruits of our labour!

This year Gareth was on the cleft gate hurdle course run by Mike Carswell of Urban Coppice, a Manchester based coppice worker and graduate of the Bill Hogarth MBE Memorial Apprenticeship Trust. Like woven hurdles, gate hurdles were traditionally used to create temporary pens for livestock, with different designs and dimensions depending on the type of livestock as well as regional variations. Having been replaced in their traditional agricultural use by tubular steel gates they are now more commonly used in the garden as gates and fencing, giving a truly rustic look to your cottage garden!

They are usually made from ash, oak or in this case sweet chestnut, which Mike had harvested from one of his woodlands. The aim is to make a strong hurdle which is as light as possible. Much of the strength comes from the cleft wood, split using a froe, which maintains the fibres of the wood along its length. Gareth made two (and a half!) hurdles over the weekend, a third being partially complete pending some tweaking at home!

Maria learnt how to turn bowls on the pole lathe with Peter Wood, a green wood worker based in County Durham. Starting with a sycamore log which is then cleft in two, the basic outer shape of the bowl is roughed out using a carving axe. The piece is then attached to a mandrel (a turned shaft with spikes in the end) and put on the pole lathe, the drive cord being wound around the mandrel. The turning then commences!


The mandrel - used to hold the bowl on the lathe and to drive the piece.

The bowl carving tool is longer than most of our other pole lathe tools which allows you to hollow out the inside of the bowl. After two days of axing and turning (and lots or treadling!) Maria made two bowls which are now slowly seasoning at home. 

In time we hope to add these products to our range, made from wood from our coppicing here in South Yorkshire!