Places To Eat (Booking Advised)

As well as the recommended restaurants below - for which you really do need to book in advance - there is a good range of different cuisines available in nearby Lyme Regis, Bridport, Axminster and Chard.

Hive Beach Cafe

Hive Beach Cafe has one many awards including Coast magazine's 2009 award for best coastal cafe, pub or restaurant. Enjoy delicious freshly caught fish on their balcony overlooking the beach.

Tel: 01308 897 070
» www.hivebeachcafe.co.uk

Hix Oyster & Fish House

Cobb Road, Lyme Regis, Dorset, DT7 3JP. A special treat also only a few miles from the woodland workshop. The name says it all; chef Mark Hix has recently opened this fantastic fish restaurant that overlooks the cobb in lyme regis.

Tel: 01297 446 910
» www.hixoysterandfishhouse.co.uk

River Cottage Canteen

The River Cottage local produce canteen, Trinity Square, Axminster, Devon, EX13 5AN. As you would expect, Hugh Fernleigh Whitingstall's new canteen is all about great local food. Whether dining or buying, it is well worth a visit.

Tel: 01297 631862
» www.rivercottage.net

The Wild Garlic Restaurant

The Wild Garlic Restaurant in Beaminster is run by 'Masterchef' Mat Follas.

Tel: 01308 861 446
» www.thewildgarlic.co.uk

Local Attractions

Of course the local area is very popular just for simply walking - whether along the gorgeous cliffs or the wide variety of beaches. And that's not to mention the various National Trust and English Heritage properties within easy reach, the spectacular ancient earthworks and forts ... the list goes on. Below are just a few specific places we thought we'd mention.

Abbotsbury Swannery and Sub Tropical Gardens

New Barn Road, Abbotsbury, Nr Weymouth, Dorset DT3 4JG. Abbotsbury Swannery is unique. This is the only place in the world where you are able to walk through the heart of a colony of nesting Mute Swans. The close-by Sub-Tropical Gardens are filled with rare and exotic plants from all over the world. Many of these plants were the first introductions to this country, and there is also a nursery with a superb range of plants and palms.

Tel: 01305 871858
» www.abbotsbury-tourism.co.uk

Electric Palace

The Electric Palace, 35 South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NY. The recently renovated cinema has films, live music, comedy and offbeat events. There's also reasonably priced delicious food and a bar in the auditorium!

Tel: 01308 42835
» www.electricpalace.org.uk

Forde Abbey

Forde Abbey is well worth a visit when you or your partner are next down here on a course or custom event. The estate borders our wood and as well as a wonderful medieval monastery, beautiful gardens and a nursery there is a fantastic pick your own fruit field there too. Forde Abbey is also exhibiting Mastercraft's winner Tom Vaugham's chair over the 2010 season.

» www.fordeabbey.co.uk

Fossil Hunting, Charmouth

Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre, Lower Sea Lane, Charmouth, Dorset, DT6 6LL. A great excuse for a walk on the beach with a difference. Our part of the Jurassic coast is world famous for its fossils that can often easily found washed out of the cliff. The Charmouth Heritage coast centre offers free advice and is well worth a visit.

Tel: 01297 560 772
» www.charmouth.org

Marshwood Trails

Marshwood Trails have designed a range of guided cycling and walking tours to help visitors discover beautiful West Dorset. As well as exploring spectacular landscapes, the tours include opportunities to learn more about the area's vibrant history and sample some of its renowned local produce. Every tour is led by a knowledgeable and qualified guide. Marshwood Trails offers tours which can be booked for a single day or they can arrange a programme of different tours that run over consecutive days. New for 2012 are tours by electric bike and all inclusive activity breaks.

Tel: 07796 135256
» www.marshwoodtrails.co.uk

Sladers Yard

West Bay Road, West Bay, Bridport, Dorset, DT6 4EL. An untouched Maritime Warehouse in West Bay/ Bridport makes aperfect showcase for artists and high quality makers in all media. as well as top quality exhibitions they also have an excellent organic cafe while traditional wooden boats are built to commission in the workshops.

Tel: 01308 459511
» www.sladersyard.co.uk

Hyde Real Tennis Court

The Hyde Real Tennis Court in Walditch near Bridport is well worth a visit. Real Tennis (which is quite unlike the tennis that most people are familiar with) is Guy's other passion when he's not woodworking.

Tel: 01308 420777
» www.hyderealtennis.co.uk

The West Dorset Area

We have only touched on some local attractions above. These general sources of information for the area will help you find many more.

Visit Southwest

This is the Tourist Board site for South West England, covering Dorset and the whole of the South West for Hotels, B&Bs, Cottages, Attractions, Events and Farmers markets.

» www.visitsouthwest.co.uk

West Dorset

The West Dorset site provides a lot of local information and further links, and also has a local area map for downloading.

http://www.westdorset.com

Bridport Radio

For news and useful up to the minute information about Bridport, the Bridport Radio site is a good bet:

» www.bridportradio.co.uk

Local Courses

Sometimes it's great to take a holiday and be 'busy doing nothing', but other times there's nothing so satisfying as taking a break and getting to grips with something new. I guess it's something to do with nothing being as restful as a change!

With this in mind, below are details about and links for about some other local courses that we think you might enjoy. With absolutely no presumptions about gender whatsoever, these might work out particularly well for 'other halves' who would otherwise be left back at home while you're having fun with bits of wood!

River Cottage

The new River Cottage HQ is just 5 miles away from Higher Holditch Farm. In addition to their excellent day courses, we also recommend their Friday night dinner event - perfect for after our Thursday-Friday daytime courses!

» www.rivercottage.net

Burngate Stone Carving

The Burngate Stone Carving Centre is located between Swanage and Corfe Castle in Dorset. It's a new facility for stone carving, letter cutting and stone masonry courses. They run short courses suitable for all levels of experience, from beginners to advanced.

» www.burngatestonecentre.co.uk

Lesley Waters Cookery School

The Lesley Waters Cookery School is about 45 mins from Higher Holditch Farm, and, like River Cottage, is great fun. Perhaps a good idea for partners of someone doing one of our courses. (Most of their courses are also held on Thursday-Friday.)

» www.lesleywaters.com

"Sow and Grow"

Michael Michaud's "Sow and Grow" ½ day courses are run just 20 miles away by the sea near Bridport. These new courses cover growing and cooking Chillies and unusual vegetables including the worlds hottest Chilli (probably!) - the Dorset Naga.

» www.sowandgrow.biz

Malcolm Seal

Malcolm teaches weekend basket making courses throughout the year at his workshop about 16 miles away, not far from Bridport. The Introduction to Basket Making course is suitable for beginners and improvers; other courses can be designed around your needs, covering garden structures, coracle building etc.

» www.malcolmseal.co.uk

Other Relevant Links

Dorset Cereals

One of our other simple pleasures, breakfasting on Dorset Cereals.

» www.dorsetartweeks.co.uk

Heritage Crafts Association

The HCA supports and promotes heritage crafts as a part of our living heritage. It believes craft skills should be protected, promoted and recorded - all aims we can only agree with!

» www.heritagecrafts.org.uk

The Greenwood Chair Project

Tom Vaughan, one of the BBC 'Mastercraft' trainees and episode winner, has a new website dedicated to his Greenwood Chair Project - a diary of his journey into green woodworking.

» www.thegreenwoodchairproject.co.uk

Charles Hooper

Charles Hooper spent 6 weeks training with us for the BBC's 'Mastercraft' series and plans to incorporate green wood where appropriate in his future projects, including Shovelstrode, a forest garden he is constructing over the course of 2010.

» www.forestgarden.info

Big Fish

The wonderful design company who are responsible for creating Oscar the owl amongst other things.

» www.bigfish.co.uk

Dorset Art Weeks

Here you will find details of over 600 artists, makers and galleries in Dorset:

» www.dorsetartweeks.co.uk

Living Wood

Mike Abbott - the Guru of Green woodwork and author of "Living Wood" - the 'bible' that we sell. Mace Brightwater trained with Mike.

» www.living-wood.co.uk

i tre furniture

Petter Southall is also local and specialises in steam bending; also works to commission:

» www.itrefurniture.co.uk

Designer Makers

This site is run by a group of leading Designer Makers in the UK, specialising in furniture:

» www.designermakers.org.uk

Ashridge Trees

Ashridge trees supply us with all of our needs for planting (including 700 whips used to plant our 'heritage' hedge), are very helpful and a mine of knowlege. They will deliver throughout the UK. They come highly recommended for hedging, standards, fruit trees and soft fruit.

» www.ashridgetrees.co.uk

David Saltmarsh

A local friend and excellent chairmaker who featured in the BBC 'Mastercrafts' programme. I couldn't resist buying one of his chairs for myself.

» www.fivepennychairs.co.uk

Lawrence Neal

In my view Lawrence Neal's chairs represent fantastic value and, as a traditional craft workshop, he deserves all the support and recognition he can get.

» www.lawrencenealchairs.co.uk/

The Bodgers

The Bodgers website (or, more correctly, the Association of Pole Lathe Turners and Green Woodworkers) is the place to look for everything you ever wanted to know about bodging and bodging events.

» www.bodgers.org.uk