Suitable for: beginners, improvers

Considerations: Partially outdoors based, physically demanding, long periods standing up.

Refreshments: Tea, coffee and biscuits will be available throughout the day. We also have a fantastic on-site cafe, Embers, run by local chef Shropshire Lad.

The course:

Come and spend a day using traditional tools and techniques and create your own hand-made bowl to take home. Taught by master craftsman, Pete Lloyd, bowl carving is a measured and deeply satisfying process which will set you up with a solid foundation of green woodworking skills and the confidence to continue independently. There will also be plenty of time to share the joys and challenges of the process with your fellow learners.

After an introduction to identifying birch, alder and cherry trees, you will be taught the various qualities of each wood in terms of grain patterns, and how moisture content affects the carving process. Pete will then take you through tool sharpening techniques and care, using stones and strops to achieve a clean, safe edge. Next, you will explore bowl forms and functions and sketch your own design, before moving on to hollowing the bowl, shaping the outside and refining / finishing the inner and outer surfaces. 

You will learn:

- How to set up a bowl mate                                                                                                                                                                                                                    - How to use sharpening tools                                                                                                                                                                                                                  - How to carve with the wood                                                                                                                                                 
- How to select appropriate timber 
- How to measure and mark up 
- Carving techniques using axe, adze and chisels 
- Finishing techniques using natural oils / waxes                                                                                                                                                                                     - Creative decorating techniques

Your tutor:

Pete Lloyd 

Blacksmithing and Tool Making, Wood Craft
Malung Folk Craft School, Sweden

BA in Fine Art  Bristol
Specialisation: Land-based Sculpture and Craft

Pete began his 18 year career with a 2 year Chair Making and Greenwood Working Apprenticeship at Clisset Wood. This was followed by a cycle tour of Sweden and Norway where he visited a wide array of traditional craft people, before returning home to study wood craft and blacksmithing. Pete has also spent 2 years working with Nic Westermann, learning how to make his own tools.

"I love the quiet wisdom of trees and the story each piece of wood holds. Crafting with greenwood connects me to the woodland, to tradition, and to a slower, more thoughtful way of living. Teaching allows me to share this connection—guiding others to shape wood with their hands, find creative expression through craft, and build lasting relationships with trees, tools, and their own creativity.

When I’m not working with greenwood, I can often be found wandering the woods, observing the changing seasons and the small, forgotten details of nature. My favourite tree is the hawthorn, with its strong, resilient branches and healing properties. The hawthorn reminds me that both craft and healing require patience, care, and a deep connection to nature’s rhythms. I strive to share this wisdom with my students, encouraging them to approach their craft with intention and respect for the natural world."