A selection of woodland course providers recommended by SWOG members, or who have worked with SWOG on various projects. They are grouped by region: jump to South East England, South West England, Central England, Northern England, Wales or Scotland. We would love to hear about your experiences of well run courses that other members may find useful or interesting – please email Mary with any information.
South East England
Ben Law Woodland management and timber framing courses at Prickly Nut Wood in West Sussex
| Woodland Management: Very well run and appropriate facilities provided. A very calm, comprehensive and accurate course that you can take into as much detail as you wish. An excellent course run by a master of the disciplines. All your questions answered. |
Coppice Designs Courses covering coppicing, coppice crafts and charcoal making in Essex
| Make Your Own Rustic Armchair: Excellent course, well run. Plenty of materials to choose from and use. Tutor was very experienced, friendly and helpful. |
East Malling Short Courses Forestry courses including chainsaw use & maintenance in Kent
| Very well run course, equipment and tools provided to hire if required, good facilities. |
Forest Garden Shovelstrode Green woodworking and beekeeping courses in Sussex
| Children’s Spatula Making: Very relaxed and easy going – kids loved it. A great introduction to green woodworking. |
John Waller, Underwoodsman Green woodworking, basketry, charcoal making and hedgelaying courses on the Kent/East Sussex border
Native Hands Basketry, pottery and other wild crafts in a Sussex wood
| Woven Bark Containers: The course was well run within a woodland setting. The tools provided were well maintained. |
Orchard Barn Courses on timber framing and other heritage building techniques in Suffolk
Pippin & Gile Bushcraft and foraging courses plus family adventures in South London
Plumpton College Forestry, woodland management and beekeeping courses plus chainsaw training in East Sussex
| Chainsaw Maintenance and Cross Cutting: Very informative and well organised. Would definitely recommend! |
Scott Fraser Training Tree work, forestry and chainsaw training in Sussex and Kent
| Forestry Introduction: The day covered a large number of topics in a well-structured order. All equipment was supplied. Domestic chainsaw course: Well organized, intimate training with plenty of hands-on time. The facilities are basic but clean and well-appointed for the type of training provided, including ‘classroom’-based interactive instruction, and closely supervised practical work. |
The Sustainability Centre Coppicing, hedgelaying, compost toilet and woodland craft courses in Hampshire
| Sustainable Woodland Management: Well run, lovely location in 55 acre wood. Tutor was really nice, approachable and easy to understand. |
Weald & Downland Living Museum Courses covering traditional crafts and skills in West Sussex
| Wonderful setting for a day out learning how to use a scythe. This is a great course, the technique of using a scythe is easily learnt in the day. |
Windsor Workshop Chair making courses run by James Mursell, an expert in making Windsor chairs, in his purpose-built barn in West Sussex
Woodcraft School Bushcraft, bow making, wildlife tracking and plant identification courses in West Sussex. John Ryder and his team have featured in several instructional videos for Woodlands.co.uk
South West England
Arbor Venture Tree climbing and chainsaw courses in Hampshire
| Excellent organisation with good workshop facilities and use of local woodland for training. The course was intense with detailed information, demonstrations and personal instruction. |
Explore the Great Outdoors Woodworking, charcoal making, bushcraft and woodland management courses in Wiltshire
Kernow Training Forestry courses including chainsaw training in Cornwall
| Well run and organised. All subjects covered well. Tutor was an experienced trainer and practicing. |
Royal Forestry Society Woodland management training in various locations
| Essentials for Measuring your Trees and Woods: This was a very useful day to learn practical skills that are useful when developing a management plan or perhaps selling timber. |
Sallerton Wood Green woodworking courses in a Devon woodland
| Well organised and ran smoothly and to time on the day. Tutor was thorough, well prepared and patient. |
Sawpod Arboricultural and chainsaw training in Hampshire
| All good. Included NPTC registration and assessment/ certification. Good and professional instructor. |
Sharif Adams An award-winning greenwood craftsman specialising in pole-lathe turned wooden bowls, running a variety of courses at Steward Wood, an off-grid woodland community in Devon
Central England
Small Woods Woodland management courses near Telford in the West Midlands
| Woodland Resilience: Superb, really well run. The location was beautiful, lovely venue, food was great. Tutors were amazing and answered everything we asked and we learned lots. |
Sylva Foundation Wood School Woodworking skills ranging from day courses in stool making or knife skills to professional training in the machinery workshop at the Sylva Wood Centre in South Oxfordshire
Greenwood Days Green woodworking, willow weaving and tool making courses in a 90 acre wood on the Derbyshire/Leicestershire border in The National Forest
Ian Morgan Arboricultural Training Chainsaw use & maintenance in Staffordshire
| Fell and Process Small Trees: Tutor was very experienced and professional. Good value for money. |
Peak District Survival School Bushcraft courses at various sites in Derbyshire and Staffordshire
| Level 2 NCFE Bush Craft: Extremely well run and everything was excellent, tutor was great. Absolutely no regrets! |
Northern England
Cumbria Woodlands Woodland management and archaeology courses, plus online training courses
| Woodland Introduction Certificate: Very good, gained a lot! Excellent tutor who came across as an experienced forester. Easy to listen to and also involved everyone. |
Ellekers Wood Woodland craft courses including tool sharpening, basketry, axe handling, chair making and more, all based in a lovely planted ancient woodland setting in North Yorkshire. In 2025 they are also running Coppice Management and Restoration, 15-16 March, with Geoff Norton and Dan Watson, and Green Woodworking Immersion 3 day course (suitable for beginners), 5-7 September, with Richard Dunn.
Eccleshall Wood Traditional craft courses in an ancient woodland near Sheffield
| Green Woodcraft: The course was very good and well run. It was very hands on and all materials were provided. Overall it was very useful and informative, and provided some great practical skills. |
H&W Training Arboriculture courses including chainsaw training, based in Dumfries with additional sites in Cumbria and Newcastle
| Chainsaw Maintenance and Safety: Very well run, very safety conscious, kept reviewing the learned points. Tutor was friendly and efficient. |
Rural Development Initiative (RDI) Forestry management training, project management and woodfuel consultancy in Ripon, North Yorkshire. RDI have advised many SWOG members and provided guest speakers for several meetings.
The Tree Health Centre Based at the Yorkshire Arboretum at Castle Howard, running courses on tree planting, tree identification, and pests & diseases.
Woodsmith Green woodworking and charcoal making courses near Newcastle upon Tyne
| Make a Shave Horse; Make a Pole Lathe; Tool Sharpening: Very well run, tailored to individual needs and experience. Lots of space, work stations, tools and timber to choose from. Tutor was very experienced and friendly, and open to questions. |
Wales
Woodland Skills Centre Woodland management, traditional craft, green woodworking, bushcraft and chainsaw courses in Denbigh
| Grey Squirrel Control: Well planned, relaxed pace and at a lovely location. Facilities were good. Tutor was enthusiastic, friendly and welcoming from the start. His knowledge was endless and he was very willing to share. |
Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) Courses on sustainable woodland management, composting toilets, beekeeping, renewable energy and green buildings in Machynlleth
Forest Park & Garden Forestry courses including chainsaw use near Cardiff
| Chainsaw Maintenance, Cross Cutting and Felling: Very well run, good facilities, provided all tools and safety gear. Tutor was very professional. |
The Coppice Plot Traditional woodworking courses run by a coppice worker in Pembrokeshire
Coppicewood College Green woodworking and woodland skills courses including coppicing, hedge laying and charcoal making in Pembrokeshire. Their 6 months part-time Woodland Skills course aims to provide students with the knowledge and ability to manage a coppice wood and, by learning basic craft skills, have the potential to gain a part of their income from woodland.
Scotland
The Big Tree Society Green woodworking, chair making and woodland craft courses in the Scottish borders
| Rustic Stool Making: Very nice, lovely location, wonderful day out. Tutor was friendly and approachable, very knowledgeable and skilled. |
Dirk Sporleder Woodland management (focussing on continuous cover forestry), coppicing and hurdle making courses in NE Scotland
Green Aspirations Scotland Woodland craft workshops including charcoal making, run by a woodland-based social enterprise near Stirling
H&W Training Arboriculture courses including chainsaw training, based in Dumfries with additional sites in Cumbria and Newcastle
| Chainsaw Maintenance and Safety: Very well run, very safety conscious, kept reviewing the learned points. Tutor was friendly and efficient. |
Scottish School of Forestry Chainsaw courses at UHI Inverness
| The course was well run with good resources, good tutorial material, and the campus facilities were of a high standard. |
Scottish Woodland Skills Centre Green woodworking and charcoal making courses in Perthshire
| Green Woodworking: The course was well run, there was sufficient general advice and individual instruction from the tutor, and all necessary materials were provided. Tutor was patient, approachable and very knowledgeable. |
Treevolution Arboricultural and chainsaw training courses near Edinburgh
| Introduction to Chainsaw: Excellent, well run and efficient. Tutors were helpful and informative. |