Rustic Carpentry reviews

26 Jan 26'

Thomas reviewed: Oak stool making experience - rustic carpentry & green wood work

"Ian was a great teacher and the course was really enjoyable. I was very pleased with the end result, if a little tired! "

18 Dec 25'

Greg reviewed: Oak stool making experience - rustic carpentry & green wood work

"Spent a wonderful day yesterday with Ian learning some new skills and went home with a lovely piece of furniture that makes me smile every time I look at it. Ian has a lovely way of teaching that focusses more on you just trying to do what feels right for you and the piece of wood you are working with rather then trying to achieve some sort of perfection. As a result its a much more rewarding experience all round and the handcrafted stool I ended up with far exceeded my expectations of what I'd be able to achieve. I can't recommend this course highly enough, if your even vaguely interested give it a go!"

25 Oct 25'

Stephen Richardson reviewed: Oak stool making experience - rustic carpentry & green wood work

"I spent a wonderful day with Ian, learning about some of the history of woodworking crafts and being shown some of the old-style tools used. I then practiced skills that would be used later in the day by making an ash mallet, before moving on to the main theme of making a beautiful greenwood stool from elm and ash. My woodworking skills are very limited, but despite this I was able to produce a piece of furniture that I am proud of with Ian’s expert guidance. Thoroughly recommended."

23 Oct 25'

Jason reviewed: Oak stool making experience - rustic carpentry & green wood work

"Had a great day making a stool with Ian, learning how to use the various tools. Was very good at explaining their use and demonstrating. Great solid piece of furniture that will last a long time! "

25 Sep 25'

John Hutchinson reviewed: Oak stool making experience - rustic carpentry & green wood work

"The green woodworking course was a birthday present from my wife. I do have some DIY skills but haven't made anything "creative" with wood for a very long time. The plan for the day was to make three legged stool using old unmechanised skills, and that's exactly what we did. Ian is a brilliant and supportive teacher who enabled me to create a hand carved mallet (which works!), then a beautiful stool which I'm very proud of. I'd very much recommend the day to anyone who wants to learn some practical woodworking skills in a very "chilled" way. "

25 Sep 25'

Guy Teasdale reviewed: Oak stool making experience - rustic carpentry & green wood work

"Absolutely brilliant course. Ian was very positive and motivating. He helped when needed but also let me work at my own pace. Came away with a mallet and a beautiful elm and ash stool. I will definitely book another course with him."

16 Jul 25'

Gaz Birtles reviewed: Oak stool making experience - rustic carpentry & green wood work

"I am a musician, not a carpenter, with very basic home DIY skills. But I had a fantastic day learning new skills with some beautiful old tools to make a very useable, rustic 3 legged stool. Ian was a great instructor and the whole day was very chilled and a lot of fun as well as being very therapeutic. Whittling down Ash branches into stool legs. Brilliant. I would highly recommend this and any of his woodworking courses. "

9 Feb 25'

Mr Philip L Braund reviewed: Oak stool making experience - rustic carpentry & green wood work

"What an excellent day - despite the bitterly cold weather. Tutor Ian was well prepared and had everything ready to go. We started by making our own mallet before moving on to making, from elm and ash, our own bespoke three-legged wood stool. It was an engaging job that needed our full attention. Ian was always on hand to help with any "difficult" bits. The day was broken up by some lovely stories from Ian about working with forest woods. The day was physical. And, at the end we came home with a lovely handmade stool which would cost a pretty penny at a craft fair. All-in-all - a great day. But wrap up warm. "

29 Jan 25'

Lisa Tomlin reviewed: Oak stool making experience - rustic carpentry & green wood work

"What a brilliant experience, a birthday gift from my partner to make a stool. Ian was friendly and welcoming and provided excellent guidance and instruction. Ian was both informative about Green Wood Carpenter and patient and happy to answer my questions. I gained so much confidence and experience while working with the wood, and managed to make a beautiful Elm and Oak Stool which now sits proudly in my living room. It was such a great day and I came away feeling inspired to start making more furniture! I would definitely recommend this course. Thank you Ian. "

11 Jan 25'

Tim Bence reviewed: Oak stool making experience - rustic carpentry & green wood work

"What a fantastic day making my wooden stool with Ian. He was such a nice guy talking me through all the techniques I needed to learn from axe work and spoke shave work. It was great going back to old techniques without a piece of electrical equipment in sight. I was really proud of what I produced Thanks Ian for a great experience. "

3 Sep 20'

Alis reviewed: Rustic oak garden bench - one day course

"We had a great day on this this course. We went along one a complete novice and the other having some knowledge of working with wood. Both of us came away having learnt so much about a range of traditional tools, different wood types and various techniques used to create a bench. The real bonus is going home with a fantastic bench that will last us for a lifetime. Ian is very knowledgeable and a nice guy to spend a day with."

6 Jul 20'

Kim reviewed: Rustic oak garden bench - one day course

"We had such a fantastic family day out together making our rustic oak (chestnut and ash) bench with Ian. I would thoroughly recommend it and our two teenagers loved it too. Great sense of achievement at the end of the day and all socially distanced, with lots of fresh air too - the perfect way to celebrate end of lockdown."

11 Jun 20'

Michael Hawkins reviewed: Rustic oak garden bench - one day course

"Really enjoyed this course, and the bench looks great in our garden. We would definitely recommend this course!"

28 Mar 20'

Lucy reviewed: Oak stool making experience - rustic carpentry & green wood work

"We had a wonderful time on Ian's green woodworking course making two stools. We have no previous woodworking experience but were keen to learn how to make something useful as a starting point. Ian was so enthusiastic and patient with our never-ending questions, and it was lovely to spend a day at his workshop isolated from technology. Would thoroughly recommend to anyone with an interest in woodworking, and we'll hopefully be back for another course in the future!"

29 Feb 20'

Charlotte Heath-kelly reviewed: Rustic oak garden bench - one day course

"We made an amazing Oak bench with Ian! Ian is very patient and attentive, and helps you make the best bench."

21 Feb 20'

Oak stool making reviewed: Oak stool making experience - rustic carpentry & green wood work

"We had an outstanding day with Ian making an oak stool yesterday. Following a stroke my husband is unable to move his right arm and can struggle in company with his speech. We met with Ian a couple of months ago to discuss the possibilities. By the time we arrived yesterday Ian had everything in place to make this a perfect day, even designing new tools with friend Henry to ensure Rob could make a stool under his own steam and independently (apart from a small amount of axe work!). As we relaxed in such good company both the stool and easy conversation grew. My husband has a beautiful stool he crafted himself and enjoyed an experience that was truly accessible. Thank you Ian for going that extra mile!"

16 Feb 20'

Sirle reviewed: Oak stool making experience - rustic carpentry & green wood work

"We had such a great day crafting our wooden stools with Ian. Me and my fiancee haven't done any woodwork before, though both of us have an interest in it. Ian was so patient, explaining and showing how to use the traditional tools. Thank you for everything Ian. It was such a fulfilling day. We came home with 2 stools we are so proud of and happy memories of a great day spent working and chatting."

13 Feb 20'

Alli reviewed: Rustic oak garden bench - one day course

"Brought this for me and my husband Sam who is a site carpenter by trade. Ian was fantastic, friendly and knowledgeable. We learnt a lot about using traditional techniques which Sam and I had never done before. We would highly recommend this course and we came away with a beautiful bench for our garden! Thanks Ian!"

9 Feb 20'

Sue Letts reviewed: Oak stool making experience - rustic carpentry & green wood work

"What an enjoyable day! And such a sense of achievement at the end, having made, with Ian's expert and encouraging help, a presentable 3-legged stool! I've done a little bit of woodwork before (with more enthusiasm than skill) but nothing like this. From Ian, I learnt traditional techniques and tools which were new to me. I thoroughly recommend the whole experience."

4 Feb 20'

Martin Lovell reviewed: Oak stool making experience - rustic carpentry & green wood work

"What a wonderful day. We started with some logs and ended up with a mallets and 2 rustic bar stools. Amazing. Neither my wife or I had done anything like this. Ian is patient, accommodating, and such a good teacher. We can highly recommend this course having left thinking what can we make next. A big thanks to Ian who is such an interesting guy."

31 Jan 20'

Ashraf reviewed: Make your own green woodworking 'Shave Horse' from Oak & Ash

"An amazing experience. Ian’s attitude to rustic work in my opinion is second to none. The experience I had was certainly fulfilling. If you like carpentry you would most certainly not go wrong by going on a course with Ian. He has really good person skills. The time with him was not only enjoyable but educational as well. Thank You Ian."

26 Jan 20'

Luke & Anabela reviewed: Rustic oak garden bench - one day course

"I went on Ian's 1 day benchmaking course with my partner and can thoroughly recommend it. We both had a great time and left with a lovely rustic bench made from oak, ash and chestnut as well as a huge hammer (called a 'persuader') we made for the purpose of hammering in the legs. We were really pleased that we managed to get so much done in such a short time without the day feeling at all rushed. Ian is clearly very passionate and knowledgeable about his craft and explained everything clearly and patiently. All in all a day well spent!"

19 Jan 20'

Ben Wolff reviewed: Oak stool making experience - rustic carpentry & green wood work

"I received Ian's workshop as a Christmas gift, and had an excellent time. Ian's enthusiasm and passion for green woodworking was evident, and he carefully guided us through a day of learning about and using traditional hand tools with locally sourced wood; resulting in some beautiful Oak and Ash stools and very (!) sturdy mauls. The workshop was perfectly suited to all ability levels, as Ian was thorough and helpful in his guidance at each thoughtfully planned stage. He was patient and encouraging, and made it easy to gain a respect and appreciation for a style of woodworking that has been a fundamental part of local communities for centuries. A thoroughly enjoyable experience with a fantastic end product that will be cherished and will probably outlive me!"

15 Dec 19'

Mr Peter Savage reviewed: Oak stool making experience - rustic carpentry & green wood work

"A truly excellent day creating a mountain of wood shavings, whilst having a brew. Ian is not only incredibly knowledgeable but also very patient. The day flew by and to top it off I have an oak stool which is undoubtedly less wonky than anything I would have made without supervision. Cracking fun I highly recommend it!"

4 Dec 19'

Jess reviewed: Oak stool making experience - rustic carpentry & green wood work

"Fantastic course, would highly recommend. Ian is an amazing teacher and with no experience whatsoever, with his guidance, I crafted a beautiful stool. Superb day."