Our series of two-day workshops included woodland crafts, charcoal making, blacksmith skills and tool tempering, hand-tool re-shafting, scything and hay making, and willow basket making. These workshops were part of the the educational work of the Walter’s Tools project which is no longer running them, but if you would like to go ‘hands-on’ to learn some of the skills associated with Walter’s Tools, the information below is a useful introduction to the work of The Bill Hogarth Memorial Apprenticeship Trust (BHMAT) which offers annual week-long Woodland Pioneers course in The Lake District, and year-long apprenticeships which teach the skills in more depth and provide a well-travelled pathway into earning a living as a woodland worker.
An excellent and inspiring short documentary film about BHMAT Woodland Pioneers, showing the life of the woods, and illustrating many hand tools in use (particularly billhooks!) can be seen here:
More BHMAT Craft skills are illustrated here:
The BHMAT crowd-funding video is here:
The original poster for Walter’s Tools craft courses:
Members of the The North West Coppice Co-Op provided invaluable assistance to the Walter’s Tools Project, and many of the co-op members were graduates of the BHMAT Apprenticeship programmes.
Visit the North West Coppice Co-Op here: Coppice Co-op
Many thanks Barbara, for your appreciation from all the way down there. It is great that these tools and trades will remain in use and in our knowledge.
What a super website and what wonderful projects you are involved with – I loved the making of the brand – I wish you every success for the future.
Barbara Elsmore, Sherborne, Dorset