We would like to welcome Jack Ritson to our team of tutors this year. Jack will be teaching two four-day cleft oak gate making courses in Wernog Wood this year. Jack began his woodland management and greenwood journey as an apprentice in Devon, and now runs @rivenoakdesign from Westonbirt Arboretum where he is part of a long term coppice restoration project. He specialises is cleft oak products such as swing seats, garden furniture and benches, hurdles, fences and of course

The legs, stretchers, seats, spindles and combs were assembled to create five regal chairs and four elegant stools. #greenwood #windsorchair #steambending #polelathe #ash #greenwoodwork #handmadeinthewoods #handmadeinwales #woodcraft #greenwoodworking #chairmaking #handmadechair #stoolmaking #furnituremaking #woodlandcraft #clwydianrange #madeinwales #thisismynorthwales #mywales #ruthin #craftcourses #craftholiday #traditionalcraft

Over the five days of our Windsor chairmaking course, our chairmakers shaped freshly felled ash using froes, axes, draw knives, pole-lathes, steam bending, adzes, spoke shaves and travishers. Logs became legs and variety of beautiful stools and chairs emerged. #greenwood #windsorchair #steambending #polelathe #ash #greenwoodwork #handmadeinthewoods #handmadeinwales #woodcraft #greenwoodworking #chairmaking #handmadechair #stoolmaking #furnituremaking #woodlandcraft #clwydianr

Congratulations to Ben Willis who will be running our greenwood chair making course. Both his chair and his stool won first prize at the ’Bodgers Ball’ which is an annual gathering of greenwood workers from across the country. High accolade when winning the vote from fellow bodgers. #meettheteacher #northwales #thisismywales #firstclass #bodger #greenwoodcraft #greenwoodworkshop #craftworkshop #craftcourses #craftcourses #greenwood

The first of our summer courses will be timber frame building (click here for course details), run by three members of the Farey family. Over five days, you will collectively build a simple frame from start to finish learning the basic techniques of timber frame construction. We aim to build a small 3m x 5m cabin, probably using larch. Meet the Farey Family - https://www.facebook.com/elwyworkingwoods Adrian Farey and his two sons Joe and Fred form part of the Elwy Working Woo

It would probably have been a lot simpler to go and buy a gate but we had a lot of fun making this one with cleft green oak. Hopefully the next one will be more refined and quicker to make. #cleftoak #greenoak #greenwoodgate #greenwood #bodging #woodlandgate #handmadegate

Ben Willis will be teaching our two Windsor chair making courses here in Wernog Wood this summer - Click here to make your own chair WRITTEN BY CLAIRE I first met Ben 15 years ago in a wood. He was a fresh young apprentice to Mike Abbott, chairmaker and author of 'Living wood' and 'Going with the grain', and was honing his skills in greenwood working. I was there with my dad as we wanted to make a chair the traditional way using only hand tools. At that time I had a really st