January 2012

In this issue:

• It's All Going On
• Bookings Are Now Being Taken
• Coming To Stay
• Building And Harvesting And ...
• ... Linking

It's All Going On

It's wonderfully busy here in the Woodland Workshop now - there's a lot to do now the shortest days are over, before the first courses of the year start in just over 12 weeks time and the first campers come to stay in April. And I have to dust off my teachers' hat as I have been given the all-clear to start teaching again in April too. At last!

Bookings Are Now Being Taken

As always, our newsletter readers are the first to know the big news and so here's the first major announcement of the year: we are now taking bookings for courses and/or camping in 2012. If you have a date in mind then now's the time to book up. Judging by past years, the popular courses and dates do fill up quickly and, as always, once we're full we're full.

Because of bookings that had to be carried over from last year, the May 'Bowl Carving' course is already full. At the time of writing, the April 'Make A Chair From A Tree' course, which was also pre-booked-up, has two places available through a double cancellation. If you fancy this one, grab it quickly!

As I press 'send' on this email, all the other courses have some spaces left. However, don't despair if a course is full - you can always book your own one day course for between one and four guests, on any week day that suits you.

Coming To Stay

Our camping facilities were very well received last year but this year they're going to be better still, including a sauna, piping hot woven willow showers and flushing loos.

Details and timings are still being worked on but I'll be able to give more information about all the upgrades to our Crafty Camping next month. In the meantime, what I can say for sure right now is that we will have three bell tents (Fipple, Twybil and Bodkin), one yurt (Poppet) and one tipi (Hoppus) ready for our opening date of 23rd April, along with the sauna, pizza oven and a communal yurt with log burner, sofas and a range of games etc.

I'm 95% sure that we will also have the shepherd's hut (Bodger) and a second yurt (called Coracle) up and running by then but to be safe we won't take bookings for these two until late February, by which time we'll be certain on timing. I am hoping to open the camping a little earlier, but just to be on the safe side we are only taking bookings from 23rd April onwards, until we see how the project comes on over the next month.

Whatever the final details, I am very pleased to say that I can already confirm that we'll again be offering complementary Dorset Cereals and Clipper teas, coffee, hot chocolate and infusions to all our guests this season - the perfect accompaniment to a relaxing time surrounded by nature in the woods.

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Building And Harvesting And ...

Work has started in earnest on getting everything ready for the season. Hoppus the tipi has now been set up with its lovely new poles - harvested locally and draw-knifed by Adam at the end of last year. Next, it's deck building so that the tipi and the new yurt (Poppet) can be relocated in their new private clearings in the woods.

Adam, Jack and Guy Furner headed off this week for a lovely week-long January camping trip (brrrr) in Hampshire ... As well as evenings of spoon carving around the fire, they are spending the week coppicing an acre of sweet chestnut ready to be transported back here for building our new yurts, decks and boardwalks - as well as some for our totem pole carving courses with Karen Hansen.

It is that time of year when the sap is down and we harvest all of the materials ready for the coming season's courses. After the sweet chestnut will be the sycamore and ash for bowl carving, pole lathing and chair making. All of these types of wood can be sourced locally but the sweet chestnut has to come from further afield as it doesn't grow that well around here. Therefore, the best method to get supplies is for us to buy a standing acre of 18 year rotation chestnut and transport it back from where it grows best - usually Hampshire, Sussex, Kent or up in Herefordshire.

... Linking

As well as developments in the woods, we have also linked up with two new companies for next season. If you are coming down this way by train and need picking up from the station at Axminster then it's always worth booking a taxi first (as there are seldom any taxis waiting there). In our view you couldn't do better than use Paynes Premier Travel who we are now recommending due to their commitment to sustainable and eco transport with their new hybrid Toyota Prius.

Paynes Premier Travel

And while you're down here, if you fancy exploring the area at a slower pace, then another new partner for 2012 is Marshwood Trails, who can organise guided bike (electric if preferred) and walking tours of the local area and along the Jurassic coast. They will bring your bikes here to the woods and tours are best arranged prior to arrival, ideally when booking your break here in the woods.

Marshwood Trails

So, here we are already in week three of the new year and it's going to be a busy time between now and April. However, Adam, Jack, Tom, Jabi and Guy F will enjoy building all of the new yurts and facilities, and you can be sure that by the time you arrive the peaceful, wild and natural feel of the Woodland Workshop or Crafty Camping will be back to how it should be.

I hope you can find a course or luxury camping date that suits you and I'm looking forward to catching up with seasoned guests as well as meeting new ones once I'm back at work in April.

Thanks for reading

 

Guy & the team