Select tab
About
Coppicing and green woodworking, including woodland management, tree felling, charcoal making, tool sharpening and green woodworking. All work by hand – no power tools!
The finer details
The course is delivered at our workshop and woodland at Pengelli in Pembrokeshire. Running 2 days a week from September to March, the course provides an opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the woodland environment through the entirety of the traditional coppicing season. During the six months our students gain the knowledge, skills and experience required to sustainably manage a woodland using traditional coppicing methods including, coppicing, greenwood working, charcoal making and hedgelaying. No power tools are utilised to enhance the learning experience.
During the six months our students gain the knowledge, skills and experience required to sustainably manage a woodland using traditional coppicing methods.
Delivery method
Classroom and practicalCourse description:
Who should attend?
- Anyone with an interest in traditional woodland skills using hand tools and who would like to earn all or part of their living working in a woodland environment.
- Anyone interested in reducing their carbon footprint, preserving the natural environment and improving habitat.
- Unemployed people and school leavers (Over 18) in rural areas looking for alternative employment opportunities.
- Woodland owners, farmers and their staff.
What will be covered?
- Making a beetle, wedges, sawhorse, shave horse and project piece.
- The main components of coppice practice, the terminology and processes employed and the choices available to them to achieve a workable coppice plot.
- How to manage working a coppice plot, to include cords, rides, faggot making, measuring and assessing a plot and making useful equipment used on the plot.
- How to fell trees, using observation and assessment, tools and equipment as required in the felling of a single stemmed tree, a leaning tree and a multi stemmed tree and a large tree.
- How to sharpen and how to look after each tool used on the course.
- Production of charcoal by successfully loading a barrel and burning the contents correctly.
- The student will be able to lay a hedge as taught.
Search for providers near you
If there are no suitable courses listed above, please fill in the details below and this will display a list of other course providers who also deliver this course.