Courses

The emphasis will be on the use of hand tools, traditional methods of construction and the fundamentals of woodworking, to equip participants with sufficient ability and confidence to continue to develop their woodworking skills at home without the need for large and expensive machinery. 

All tools and equipment required for the courses will be provided, together with the timber and any other materials for the project.

There will be no more than four participants per course to enable maximum individual attention.

For those intending to stay overnight whilst attending one of the courses or maybe including it as part of a longer break/holiday, please take a look at the Accommodation and Amenities page that includes nearby hotels and places to eat. Also listed is a selection of local attractions that may be of interest whilst in the area.

Experience/Taster Days

Experience/Taster Days are great for absolute beginners who would just like to try their hand at woodworking for a day or to make one of the specific projects.

Unlike the full tuition courses (that include more detailed instruction and use of a wider range of tools and techniques) the Experience/Taster Days are all about ‘having a go’ at making a wooden item and to have the opportunity to see if working with wood might be for them.

Take a look at the Experience/Taster Day page to see the items that can be undertaken.

Steve

After leaving secondary school, I joined a family run firm in Newcastle-under-Lyme where I worked as a cabinet maker for 39 years. In that time I had the opportunity to work alongside many talented and skilled craftsmen to a position of teaching apprentices myself and becoming the workshop manager.

Over the years I have been very fortunate to gain a wealth of knowledge and experience in many aspects of woodworking, including: antique repair, the making of free-standing and fitted furniture (both traditional and contemporary) and numerous commercial projects - such as the box office desk at the New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

In 2018 I decided to pursue my desire to pass on the knowledge I have gained to a wider audience wishing to develop their woodworking skills.

Acava Studios

As a charitable organisation, ACAVA provides studio/workspace for a diverse range of artists and makers including; ceramics, photography, textiles, design and other creative disciplines.

As part of a developing creative hub at the Spode Works, ACAVA Studios aim to engage with the community through a wide range of initiatives and public engagement.

The locally sourced English Oak you will use at Dovetail has been grown, felled and milled in Staffordshire on the Norbury Park Estate and supplied by Shelmore Timber.

The timber has an unequivocal provenance coming from woodland once owned by the Earls of Lichfield.

Norbury Park recently received a Royal Forestry Society award for 'Planting Woodlands for Climate Change.'