Green Woodworking Courses

In ancient Sussex woodland

 

Get away from the every day stresses of modern life, re-charge and learn a new skill in an ancient woodland setting.

 

Professional chair maker Danny Harling runs the Sussex Green Woodworking Courses from his Sussex woodland (near to Brighton), where he offers 5 day chair making courses, 2 Day weekend stool making courses, Spoon and Bowl courses. During the chair making course you will use a range of traditional techniques using hand tools to create a beautiful Windsor style chair. The weekend stool making courses are a great introduction into the world of green woodworking. All the woodworking courses are achievable no matter your skill level. You don’t need to have previous woodworking experience to complete the chair or stool making courses.

 

Courses


Chair Making 5 days
£495
Monday 15th Apr 2024
5 days
Fully booked
Stool Making 2 days
£215
Thursday 25th Apr 2024
2 days
Fully booked
Pole Lathe 2 days
£315
Thursday 2nd May 2024
2 days
Fully booked
Stool Making 2 days
£215
Saturday 11th May 2024
2 days
Fully booked
Stool Making 2 days
£215
Thursday 16th May 2024
3 places left
2 days
Chair Making 5 days
£495
Monday 20th May 2024
5 days
Fully booked
Table Making 3 days
£315
Wednesday 5th Jun 2024
3 days
Fully booked
Chair Making 5 days
£495
Monday 10th Jun 2024
2 places left
5 days
Stool Making 2 days
£215
Thursday 20th Jun 2024
3 places left
2 days
Stool Making 2 days
£215
Thursday 27th Jun 2024
5 places left
2 days
Chair Making 5 days
£495
Monday 1st Jul 2024
2 places left
5 days
Spoon Carving 1 day
£115
Friday 12th Jul 2024
5 places left
1 days
Stool Making 2 days
£215
Wednesday 10th Jul 2024
4 places left
2 days
Bowls and Spoons 2 days
£215
Saturday 13th Jul 2024
2 days
Fully booked
Chair Making 5 days
£495
Wednesday 17th Jul 2024
5 days
Fully booked
Table Making 3 days
£315
Wednesday 4th Sep 2024
3 days
Fully booked
Stool Making 2 days
£215
Thursday 12th Sep 2024
5 places left
2 days
Chair Making 5 days
£495
Monday 16th Sep 2024
5 days
Fully booked
Stool Making 2 days
£215
Thursday 26th Sep 2024
3 places left
2 days
Stool Making 2 days
£215
Saturday 28th Sep 2024
4 places left
2 days
Table Making 3 days
£315
Thursday 3rd Oct 2024
6 places left
3 days
Chair Making 5 days
£495
Monday 7th Oct 2024
3 places left
5 days
Stool Making 2 days
£215
Saturday 19th Oct 2024
4 places left
2 days
Stool Making 2 days
£215
Thursday 24th Oct 2024
6 places left
2 days

Highly recommended! 

     

 I did the 2-day weekend stool course and had the BEST time! Danny is so skilled and a great teacher who patiently guided us

through the whole process. And Jodie and Peter were always on hand to help which made it a great experience. 

 
It was so nice being out in the woods, fully immersed in the craft. I found it very relaxing and was super pleased with how my stool turned out. 
 
Highly recommended! 
Christophe Walder

Thanks again for a fabulous course

“Thanks again for a fabulous course. It hugely exceeded my expectations in all aspects and I enjoyed it immensely. My wife was also delighted with the chair and couldn’t believe how professional it looked – a tribute to your skills, guidance and patience. I am sure I will be using some of the techniques learnt during the week in other projects, although I am not sure that my wife will be as good in replicating the food we had! ”

All the best and hope to see you again at some point.

Chris

A week of great enjoyment in a beautiful environment

A great five days. The processes were clearly described and effectively demonstrated with clear, helpful and supportive instruction. Danny achieved a good balance of humour and seriousness to create a week of great enjoyment in a beautiful environment.

Gavin

I couldn’t recommend it more!!

Danny’s green woodworking course has been even more enjoyable than I could hope for. Danny is a great teacher – he is there to help, instruct and oversee whenever needed. I couldn’t recommend it more!! It has been a revelation to make something so beautiful, strong, and very comfy

Carlos

Danny is a great teacher

I started the chair making course with no knowledge of wood… Danny is a great teacher. He is able to inspire, help create and offer encouragement. I have loved the whole process and have now purchased some tools to use in my own time

Ella

A great week in the woods

Thank you Danny for a great week in the woods building my chair. I went from Monday when I thought I’d never get the hang of the lathe to pride with the reaction from my wife and daughter when I got home this evening. I can’t wait to do another course. You showed great patience this week and your teaching style of show, encourage and praise works very well. The endless cups of tea and magnificent lunches were gratefully accepted.

John

You are an amazing master craftsman, teacher

Hi Danny, it’s me, Rob , writing to say you are an amazing master craftsman, teacher and thank you! You taught me so much but so gently and subtly that it never stopped being enjoyable. I am filled with wonder that under your guidance I could make such a professional and comfortable chair that will be used and loved for as long as I am around. I’d recommend Sussex Green Woodworking to anyone and everyone. Fun, well equipped and with an awesome end result.

Rob

The course was excellent!

I’d just like to thank you, Peter and Jodie for a great weekend. The course was excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed everything about it including the tasty lunch. Certainly recommend it to my friends.
Cheers.
Malcolm

LOVED IT

Something magical creating something from wood it’s like going back in time sitting in the woods with the ole fire going and of course the kettle boiling !!! working with old tools Absolutely loved it whatever your skill level I can highly recommend attending one of these courses I’ve already booked my next one, once you start you’ll be hooked.

Matt Beighton

Fantastic Course

I had a wonderful week on the Chair making course. I didn’t really know what to expect but what came out was great learning, awareness of the traditional methods of woodworking (no electricity and sandpaper was a dirty word) and hard work. Danny and his support staff were super friendly and patient, explaining everything carefully. Everyone worked hard throughout the week, you had to to finish your chair. The results for everyone were fantastic; a really classy chair made by hand fit for any home. Also the food was great. Even the weather didn’t bother us. I would thoroughly recommend this and any of their courses. I am going back for another to make a table.

Jeremy Paine

Very enjoyable

I did this course in March. It did not matter it was raining and the ground muddy because the tuition and work was so rewarding. The course suits all levels of experience and ability and the end product leaves you with a great sense of achievement. Everyone on the course ended up with a great result.

Rob Harvey

A Really Great Chairmaking Course

This was my second chair making course with Sussex Green Woodworking. Danny is a fantastic tutor, ably supported by Jodie and Peter. Everybody had a really great time and thoroughly enjoyed the week. It doesn’t matter how experienced you are, SGW always make sure you can master the skills of pole lathing, draw knife use, whittling etc. We all made wonderful chairs and left with a huge smile on our faces to proudly show them off to our family and friends at home. I’ll be back!

John Gower

Fabulous week’s experience, with expert guidance allowing me to make an attractive and comfortable chair

I had such an enjoyable time turning lumps of wood, with expert gentle guidance and reassurance that all would be OK in the end (!) from Danny, Jodie and Peter into a chair which surprised me and very much surprised my wife !
Every aspect of the course was top class from the aforementioned mentors to the wholesome and delicious food. I thoroughly recommend the course and hope to be back in the future.

Jim Herold

The BEST two days!

Last week I spent the MOST fantastic two days, sitting in a beautiful bluebell wood, listening to the birds, making a stool from tree trunks, with a great group of people and thoroughly enjoyed every minute!

I can’t recommend Sussex Green Woodworking highly enough.

Danny is such a good teacher, his skills are incredible and he really does work hard to ensure you have a great time creating your very own masterpiece!

Jodie, Danny’s “right hand girl” is also on hand to offer wonderful help and advice. She’s great fun and she too is talented in making something wonderful out of a stump!

It wasn’t until I got home that I realised I hadn’t stopped smiling from start to finish. It’s such a relaxing thing to do and such a welcome break from the desk and computer – soul food. I wish I could do it everyday.

Oh, and the lunchtime food is delicious and plentiful!

Thank-you to Danny, Jodie, Peter and Marco for such a special couple of days that I won’t forget for a very long time. I’m very proud of my stool which will follow me now wherever I may go!

I think green woodworking is my new favourite thing to do and I can’t wait to come back again…. x

Elaine Cripps

A Surreal Experience

I just loved the venue in the middle of the woods surrounded by blue bells. Danny and Jodie were excellent teachers along with being great hosts. I learnt new skills and was very proud of the piece of furniture I made. An overall wonderful experience and I hope to return again soon.

Mark Hopwood

A great sense of achievement

I would highly recommend this well structured and really enjoyable course which is set in beautiful Sussex woodland.

Danny is very knowledgeable and a great teacher, ably assisted by Jodie. He also makes a mean flapjack and her soup was delicious!

At the end of the week I felt a great sense of achievement and enjoyed it so much that I hope to go back again.

Alexander Meacock

We actually built a whole pole lathe in 2 days?! Amazing!

Danny and Jodie were superb. They were welcoming, relaxed, knowledgeable, friendly, great fun. I still can’t believe we _all_ actually built our own pole lathes in 2 days and still had time to start to learn how to use them. Incredible. Highly recommend. The woodland setting was serene (granted the weather and the bugs were both perfect mid May: warm, dry and sunny, and curious, interesting and non-bitey respectively)

AJP

Amazing course in beautiful setting!

Had wonderful day in the beautiful woods. I made the mistake of thinking the course was only one day, Danny pulled out the stops for me to complete my stool in a day which was amazing, I am very grateful to come away with a piece of furniture that not only looks good but it is functional too! The course was obviously very hands on which I enjoyed and all equipment was provided. The lunch was very good, homemade soup, bread cheese etc, lovely!! Thank you Danny and Jodie, I would highly recommend for any body to take a couple of days out of their busy working lives to spend the time in woodland to recharge the batteries and be creative!!

Susanna Love

The SGW team really are the sharpest tools in the box!

Danny and his merry band (Jodie, Pete, Peter, Delia and Barney) expertly guided us through the process, from splitting the first log all the way to oiling a finished chair. It was a joy to spend time in beautiful woodland mastering new skills, sharing the experience with a bunch of strangers who soon became friends. Friendly banter, copious tea, coffee and cake and lovely healthy lunches all helped to make it a week to remember. I’d recommend the course to anyone, sign up and get stuck in you won’t regret it AND you get to take a magnificent chair home at the end. What a week, thank you all.

Mac

John McManus

We both had the most

We both had the most wonderful week making chairs with Danny and his brilliant team. We cannot recommend both the stool and chair courses more highly. We had very few skills to bring to both of these courses but even novices like us can take home wonderful and most professional pieces of craftsmanship and all our pieces have been greatly admired. Everything you need is supplied including wonderful food and all you need to bring is enthusiasm. One of the top weeks of our lives – thank you all.

Sue and John Pollock

I can’t thank SGW enough…

This is a message to anyone who has never done any woodwork but would like to try to make themselves a beautiful chair.
Danny is an expert with wood and an expert at supporting every individual through to reach their goal. His brilliant helpers- Jodie and the Peters- mean you are never waiting around for guidance and you can have as much or as little help as you need. I was a nervous lathe user so Jodie stood next to me whilst I made all the legs and all the stretchers- she’s a natural instructor.
Being in the woods with no electricity- using hand tools, was so peaceful. Danny creates a lovely relaxed atmosphere and there is time to chat with your fellow woodworkers which made it such a good break from a busy life. I’m so proud of my lovely chair. I can’t thank SGW enough.
Jane Massam

Wonderful way to spend a few days!

I wholeheartedly recommend this woodworking course to anyone with an interest in stool making or woodworking in general. The forest setting and amazing team of instructors made this a very enjoyable few days!

Tom Oldham

A really great weekend

Their were three of us in our party, dad, son, son-in-law – we really enjoy getting away together – at previous times and places we’ve done other activities but this weekend with each of us making a stool was the one we’ve enjoyed most! We had a really good time.
Everything was good, the location, the instruction and even the food, as simple as it was, was delicious.
We thought Danny, Jodie and Peter were terrific – we’d love to do it all over again!

Bill Oldham

A wonderful woodland workshop

My Son & I had a fabulous couple of days in a beautiful woodland setting learning some new skills and coming away with two wonderful and functional pieces of furniture. The teaching was excellent and everyone was really lovely. It was a fun filled adventure and we’ll definitely return. Many thanks again.

Sara Hall

Still on cloud 9….!!

I had the most amazing week making my chair & am really thrilled with it. It was so relaxing sitting in the woods, learning new skills and using different tools. I’ve wanted to make a chair for years ….. and now I want to make another one! Danny & his team (including Delia the cook & Barney the dog) are excellent instructors – very patient and they, and my fellow chair bodgers, were great company. This was the perfect birthday present and I would thoroughly recommend it. Thank you SO much!

Fiona Lanc

Highly recommended

Highly recommend the 2 day Shave Horse course.
All 8 of us had fun and come away with a lovely solid Ash shave horse.
It was very relaxed in an idyllic setting.
We had great tuition from Danny and were looked after by Jodie and Peter.
Food and drink plentiful.
Thanks again guys for a great 2 days!

Mo Draper

A Glorious two days in the woods.

Had a fantastic time under the inspiring and watchful eyes of Danny and his team. The whole thing is so different from everyday life and you get to bring home something you’d never of thought you could create. Thank you.

Stuart Fox

A perfect week, making a chair I’m really proud of.

Slowly adjusting back to normal life after a wonderful week learning to make a green wood Windsor chair. Danny, Jodie and Peter are fabulous; friendly, encouraging, funny and knowledgeable. Set in a beautiful, off grid wood, you learn a good variety of traditional woodworking skills. It’s physically hard work but utterly engrossing and the atmosphere is brilliant. Coffee, tea and snacks are plentiful, lunch is great and Danny’s flapjacks should be famous! I also had the pleasure of camping for the week, so was able to enjoy the peace and quiet of the woodland out of hours. At the end of the week, despite my lack of experience and, at times, confidence, I am the proud maker of a beautiful chair and confident that I can continue to practice my new skills. A thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding week, can’t recommend it highly enough!

Lucy Green

‘A-ma-ZING

Loved it, want to do it again. Danny and Jodie are such chilled out people. Fantastic couple of days. Thank you for making it so much fun, relaxed and enjoyable. Yummy food, snacks and ample tea and coffee. What a wonderful job you have. Brilliant set up. Thank you for having us and hopefully see you again. Jacqui and Dave

Jacqui Barrett

The best two days in a long time

I had a fantastic time with Danny and Jodie on the stool making course. There was lots of information given, both specific to the job, and in the broader sense of greenwood working.
For the price I feel I got a bargain, not only a stool which now graces the lounge, but a new set of skills, and two days of peace and quiet which is priceless these days. The lunches were wonderful, and the company made for a lovely experience. Help was always a shout away, and everyone was supportive. At the close of play all of us had a finished piece, and I’m sure slept very well.
Give it a go, it’s worth it. I’m now seriously thinking about making a chair……..

mark Lewis

Go for it – you will really enjoy it

Spent 2 days in the woods with about 10 others all learning how to make a green wood stool/table. The location was great, the facilities excellent -all you need to build the item is provided for you. The pace was relaxed and plenty of time to refine your skills and learn – do take the opportunity to ask questions of Danny, Jodie and Peter. The food is great and tea/coffee on tap at all times. really enjoyable and sociable activity (all age ranges) and you come away with a new creation. Go for it – a really enjoyable and creative experience.

Steve Dallas

Book now!

Both the courses I have done with Sussex Green Woodworking have been excellent in every respect. You receive a warm welcome, expert tuition tailored to your personal needs and plentiful food and drink. Enjoying great company and spending quality time in a woodland clearing away from everyday life is an extremely therapeutic experience crowned by the bonus of leaving with a successful creation! If you haven’t done so already -book now!!

Mark Dawkins

Loved It

I wasn’t sure what to expect but I absolutely loved every minute. The relaxed yet informative tuition, the people and the end product. Would recommend it to anyone.

Justin Wilkes

Magical weekend in the woods carving a bowl and spoon

I’m so happy that I found Sussex Green Woodworking, because I have been able to tick off several bucket list ambitions at this magical place in Sussex. The setting and the teaching work in perfect harmony to provide an immersive experience that is so rewarding and life affirming. It’s a real back-to-nature place, where you can learn traditional woodworking skills and make new friends at the same time. Under the tutelage of Danny and his team, I have come away with functional objects that I’m really proud of, and throughly enjoyed making. I can’t get enough of SGW, so I shall be going back for more next year!

Sarah Bourne

I love, love, love my chair!

When I told some friends I was off to the woods for a 5-day chair making course, there was a bit of emoji eye rolling and a few cynical responses (something about ending up with a random collection of wood that would in turn end up less than a sum of its parts).

Well, I can absolutely guarantee that you will love this course! The whole group ended up with chairs that we are all so immensely proud of. I for one could not believe I’d made a chair, let alone made one using tools such as pole lathes, draw knives, an axe and steam bending. There wasn’t even a whiff of sandpaper to create the very smooth and professional finish to our chair.

Danny is an excellent teacher. He is so expert and knowledgeable in what he does, as too are Jodie and Peter. The guidance, encouragement, and belief they have in your abilities, however ropey you think those abilities are, will carry you through, as will the tasty lunches, great playlist, and Barney the dog for sheer calm cuteness! The setting too of being in the middle of the woods, provides a lovely green space to restore you back to calm.

This for me was a truly fantastic experience. It is hands down the best course experience I personally have ever had. I will absolutely be back for more!

Thank you once again Danny, Jodie, Peter and Barney. I love, love, love my chair! Odina

Odina Nzegwu

Much more than a Chair

On the chair making course I seemed to gain more than just a lovely piece of bespoke furniture that I will use and cherish forever but I also gained a whole range of new skills and an number of indelible memories. There is something truly special about this course whether it is the setting in the sun dabbled (other weathers are available I am told) glade or the relaxed confidence of our tutors (many thanks to Danny Jodie and the Peter’s! – who were always on hand to educate, guide and in my case often correct) or whether it was the awesome flapjacks and soups I am not sure. I certainly took more away than the Chair.
Not sure if I can recommend this course highly enough

Stephen Butterworth

What could be better!

An excellent five days spent being guided by Danny, Jodie and one of the several Peters in making a very sturdy Windsor chair in a beautiful setting in the woods of Sussex. What was most impressive was the very professional looking end result, using no more than the rudimentary tools of a springpole lathe, shaving horse, drawknife, spokeshave and whittling knife – and no air conditioned workshop required! A brilliant 5 day course and thoroughly recommended!

Andy Hatch

5 Wonderful days

If you have 5 days to give as a present or treat yourself to, then this course is amazing. Danny and Jodie and the 2 Peters are such good teachers and always there to help when you have problems. They solve them so you know how to carry on to the end of that days’ work. The site in the woods is idyllic and the coffee, home made flap jacks and tea are always available. Lunch is home made soup, bread baked locally in an old fashioned oven and cheeses, fruit and tomatoes . My finished chair now has pride of place in our living room!! If you can only spare two days then go for the stool making course which a friend did and produced a beautiful 3 legged one.

Lionel Guyett

Three chairs for Sussex Green Woodworking (boom, boom!)

Danny, Jodie and the Peters were great. The weather was spot-on (not sure if that is guaranteed). The lunches were the business. And the chair I made with my own fair hands (OK, with maybe a little bit of help from the pros) and upon which I sit as I type is perfect! Perfect! And certainly better than Stephen’s. And Andy’s. And Lionel’s.

I can’t recommend the whole song-and-dance enough. The pleasure and joy of transforming a piece of tree into the world’s most perfect chair, using the grooviest of 13th century (??) implements with hardly a power-tool in sight cannot be overstated but is hard to appreciate unless you actually get out there and do it. So get out there and actually do it.

And I would still say all of this even if Stephen hadn’t paid for me.

Roy Isbister

Beautiful setting, friendly company and great instruction!

…I can’t really add much to the other generous and flattering testimonials – short of also thanking Danny and Jodie for the lunches and tasty flapjacks. My daughter and I had a great time stool making, and both Danny and Jodie both were fabulous in the tuition, support and assistance they provided. Many thanks – we will surely be back!!

JOHN BURROWS

A most satisfying and instructive way to learn something new

Enjoyed the course immensely, am grateful for the way Danny and his team turned us all into proud and able woodworkers within five days.
Very good atmosphere and delicious food in unusual surroundings.
Thank you Danny, Jodie and Peter.
Henning

Henning Wulff

Absolutely loved it!

What a wonderful, healthy and grounding way to spend 5 days. In a lovely wood engaged in a physically demanding creative activity and all under the expert guidance of Danny, Jodie and Peter. Everyone comes away with a creation to be proud of, despite blisters and aching joints, and with a soul refreshed by the surroundings and the materials you work with. Thank you to everyone involved. I will definitely be back!

Michael Clark

Wood for the soul!

A massive thank you to Danny, Jodie and Peter! I had such a lovely 5 days in the woods building a chair!
The course is fun, engaging and therapeutic. The natural way in which you are taught to shape the wood whilst being immersed in nature is a wonderful experience that is good for the soul.

Danny and his team give just the right amount guidance and support to make sure that you produce a wonderful chair that you will be proud of (even if you can’t count spindles 😉

Charlie Haak

A great setting to learn some new skills

I would really recommend the chair making course to anyone looking to learn some woodworking skills while making something you can be proud of.
Thank you very much to Danny, Jodie and Peter for all the help and guidance.

Jack Baldwin

Highly addictive fabulous 5 days in the forest

This is a brilliant thing to do. Huge thanks to Danny, who is a superb teacher, and his fab assistants Jodie, Peter, Peter, and of course Barney. Beautiful surroundings, great food, great company and traditional tools under the trees. Be warned though, woodland woodworking is highly addictive so expect at least a few days of severe withdrawal once it finishes. Absolutely loved it… and we’ve all got beautiful new chairs that we made from a pile of logs!

Mike Brooks

I loved this course!!

Thank you so much to Danny and his team for creating a magical 2 days. Spending time in beautiful woods, eating tasty food, chatting to the other lovely people on the course while getting expert advice on traditional woodworking skills meant I left feeling relaxed and rejuvenated and immensely proud of my beautiful oversized bench-like stool! A highlight of the year for me.

Rebecca Krebs
Sussex Green Woodworking Gift Voucher
Your shopping bag0
There are no products in the cart!
Continue shopping