Forthcoming Courses

We are now in a position to offer courses throughout the year. Please contact us if your preferred dates are not shown below, and we can probably fit you in. You can phone me ( John Clohesy) on 07922 164061, or Becca Clohesy my daughter in law on  01926 854791 to discuss your preferences.

Places are still available on the following courses

March 2012
12-17 March ( Monday-Saturday)
22-24 March ( Thursday-Saturday)
29-31 March ( Thursday-Saturday)

April 2012
2-4 April ( Monday-Wednesday) ( 1 Place left)
19-21 April ( Thursday-Saturday)
26-28 April ( Thursday-Saturday)

May 2012
4-9 May ( Friday-Tuesday) 1 Place left ( Early Spring Bank Holiday weekend)
10-12 May ( Thursday-Saturday)
17-19 May (Thursday-Saturday)
24-26 May ( Thursday-Saturday)
31 May-6 June ( Friday-Tuesday) ( Late Spring Bank Holiday weekend with Queen's Jubilee Tuesday)

June 2012
31 May-6 June ( Friday-Tuesday) ( Late Spring Bank Holiday weekend with Queen's Jubilee Tuesday)
14-16 June ( Thursday-Saturday)

July 2012
5-7 July ( Thursday-Saturday)
12-14 July ( Thursday-Saturday)
26-28 July ( Thursday-Saturday)

August 2012
2-4 August ( Thursday-Saturday)
9-11 August ( Thursday-Saturday)
16-18 August ( Thursday-Saturday)
23-27 August ( Thursday-Monday) August Bank Holiday weekend
30th August -1 September ( Thursday-Saturday)

September 2012
6-8 September ( Thursday-Saturday)
13-15 September ( Thursday-Saturday)
October 2012

Half term week ( Monday-Saturday)
Evening courses are generally offered October - February.

Residential course

Our preferred course is a 3 day course . You may wish to stay longer and make your stay more of a holiday, the dates above refer to the "canoe building" part of your stay, we can be very flexible if you would like to stay a few days before or after your course.

We start around 9am on the  first day, work "normal" hours, generally finishing around 5pm, and the canoe should be ready to take away by the end of the afternoon on the third day.
Accommodation is offered as part of the course fee.
If you are a couple, you might wish to opt for the flat, which has a king sized bed and ensuite shower and toilet.
For a group of 4 or 5 of you, you might prefer the wooden cabin in the garden.
For groups up to about 8, camping is available.
Of course, anyone can opt to camp if they prefer.
In addition there are various local Bed and Breakfast places, some of whom offer discounts if you mention the course.
We offer courses to co-incide with the school holidays ( including half terms) , but are able to offer courses at other times, please ask if you have a particular date in mind. 

Evening Class

Another course we do, which is especially suitable for people who live locally, is a series of 7 evenings. On each evening we work for between two and three hours. We are not far from the A46 and the M1, so it does not take long to get here from a wide range of midland locations, so an evening course might well suit you. Evening courses are mainly offered October -February, but we are flexible enough to offer the course at other times of the year by request. 

Standard Course

We build up to 4 canoes on these courses, and in many cases there are just 2 canoes being built at the same time, so you get plenty of help from the instructors, and there is a communal and convivial atmosphere. Places on the course to build each canoe cost £899 ( you can bring your family or a friend to build your canoe with you for no additional cost). This course is ideal for woodwork novices. The canoes we make on this course are standard Birchcanoes Lakotas and Algonquins.

Individual Course

You may prefer to book an individual course. In this case you and your family or group will be the only clients, and we can work at your pace. This is the course to select if you want to make changes to the original design especially  if you are a competent woodworker. This is the course for perfectionists who might want to spend longer on certain stages, because we can adapt the pace of the course to your requirements.  This is also the option to take if you want to build an alternative design of canoe. Owing to the variations available the price of the individual course is negotiable, but starts at £1400.

Paddle Making

Sometimes people get time to make a paddle during their course, in which case the cost for a spruce paddle is £20 on top of the canoe building. If you come on a special paddle making course, we will spend considerably longer on the paddles, and there will be a range of hardwood  timbers to choose from. The cost in this case will be around £100 per paddle. Traditional tools are used ( planes, draw knives, spoke shaves, sand paper) and your paddle will be an individual work of art.

Greenwood Craft / Countryside/ Tree and Timber identification and other courses

From time to time we run courses for people to make and use a Shave horse, a Pole Lathe or  Living Willow Sculptures. I have taught Countryside Managment at Diploma level for many years, and am happy to run courses for people on tree and timber identification and similar topics. Just ask me for details. Course costs start at around £60 per day.

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