Explore the joy of finding the forms of beauty within a wizened piece of wood, with hand tools.

Age restriction: 10+

You will be taught about the fundamentals of woodcarving and whittling, from the grain to the tools, and many of the forms of carving.

I aim to get you to understand the grain of wood better so that you might gain more insight into how trees grow, and how they experience life and stress.

My tools are almost all either heirloom tools from the previous century, or hand-forged tools I have made. All are meticulously maintained and sharpened.

I wish to instil in you a greater reverence for wood, and a deeper respect and appreciation for the wooden articles you have in your life.

You will then be lightly guided through a free-form exploration of carving, with an array of quality tools and beautiful timbers.

There are forms of carving that are hard on your hands, and forms that are softer on your hands – I will have wood and tools available for a variety of styles, but be aware that this is a physically exerting workshop.

Note: Carving often involves mild cut hazards, as the tools used are mostly chisels and knives.

This venue can be noiser than my others, as it is partly indoors, and as such there is some echo from the mallets (if they are used).

I will show you ways to use the tools so that you needn’t ever get cut, but will also have some first aid equipment on site.

If you have sensitive ears, the indoor parts of this venue might be heavy due to the knocking noises that are part of some carving processes, but there is an outdoor area that you can utilise, which has a splendid view.