Wood Water Weave

Bookings for the 2025 programme will open in spring 2024 with updated venue, dates and cost information. Its never too early to have a chat about it if you’re interested.

Gift Vouchers for courses are available. Buying yourself a voucher each month is an easy way to save up for the Wood Water Weave fee.

Immerse yourself in ancient woodland in the home of spelk basketry.

Learn how to make a living in connection to woodlands and the seasonal cycles, this course will take your basketmaking and natural design to the next level.

Part retreat, part professional training, all fun. I know you are going to love it.

What is it?

The only long-term course in UK split wood basketry.

30 days learning the alchemy of turning locally coppiced trees into jaw-droppingly beautiful products.

Each month you’ll learn a new basket pattern in oak, hazel or ash, either by me or another expert tutor, and you’ll go home with at least one that you’ve made. Learn how to boil oak, split hazel and pound ash to weave baskets in styles from the UK, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Spain and US.

Numbers are limited to 8 with 2 tutors so you’ll be sure of lots of 1-1 attention. The programme for the year is partly dictated by seasonal cycles of harvesting materials, but there is plenty of flexibility in the later months should you wish to try a particular style you’ve researched or revisit previous lessons.

There aren’t any compulsory workbooks, homework or qualifications so you can take part at whatever level suits you. There are plenty of skills to practice in between sessions if you have time available and want to get the most from the programme.

Additional online mentoring and troubleshooting sessions will be available for an extra fee and a Whatsapp group provides moral support and shared enthusiasm in between sessions.

Who is it for?

  • Anyone who wants the opportunity to learn more about split wood baskets, woodland management and heritage skills.

  • Perhaps you’ve been on a weekend course and want to do more but find it difficult to carve out the time from usual life.

  • You’re already weaving a bit and would like some in-depth skills training and support while you find your feet.

  • You're a designer who wants to incorporate woven elements into your work.

  • You’re a greenwood worker or basketmaker and want to add split wood baskets to your repertoire.

  • You want to fill your home and life with unique handmade baskets.

  • You’re super keen to start making oak swills but can’t get going because there isn’t an apprenticeship or the chance to learn on the job (sorry about that!).

This course is your way to put aside dedicated time each month to learn and hone the skills you need and grow your endeavour into a business, or just come along and have a nice time making a load of gorgeous baskets and nurturing your creativity.

Where is it?

In the Rusland valley, a secluded valley in the Lake District in between Coniston and Windermere, where the sound of woodsmans axes have been heard for centuries. I’ve coppiced in the valley for 10 years.

This is the historic region of oak spelk basketry, what better place to learn to weave with split wood.

What is included?

  • 30 days of expert tuition with additional support available in between sessions.

  • All materials are included in the course. Specialist materials that are grown especially for this purpose and unavailable to buy elsewhere are all included in your fee.

  • Homemade lunches are included and we’ll gather together to eat. There’s high concentration levels while we’re making and learning so lunch is our chance to get to know each other, catch up and have a laugh as well as replenish our energy levels.

  • And of course copious amounts of tea, coffee and herbals plus delicious homemade cakes and healthy snacks.

Plus:

  • Exclusive access to online teaching resources.

  • Quality photographs of all the sessions will be available for you to use in your portfolio, social media or website.

  • You get first dibs on the paid teaching assistant role on the following year’s course. The perfect way to reinforce all that knowledge.

  • Future opportunities will be passed on to graduates first, such as exhibiting, retail and teaching opportunities.


When is it?

Starting in January, the course will run for 3 days each month, excluding August and December.

Dates will be finalised early in 2024.

I signed up to Lorna’s Wood Water Weave course to try and find a balance and some peace in my life.

Working as a GP was tough, perhaps not as tough as tearing oak apart with your bare hands, and I daydreamed of working with my hands outside surrounded by my oak trees creating beautiful craft. I specifically wanted to learn how to make oak swill baskets, to learn this ancient craft and bring it back to Scotland and in the process helping to save this endangered craft and perhaps save myself too.

I could wax lyrical about the course, the setting, the fellow participants, the tutors but I’d be here all day. Suffice to say I have got more from this course than just learning to make split wood baskets.

As a course organiser and tutor Lorna is amazing. So encouraging, enthusiastic and generous with her skill and knowledge. The course is not to be missed and certainly I will be sad without my blissful 3 days a month playing with wood.

Wood Water Weave participant 2023

Additional information

Hawkshead is the nearest village and can be reached by public transport. Lifts can be arranged from here to the venue, lets have a chat about it if you’re unsure.

Physical ability

Weaving with wood is very physical and necessitates a level of fitness and hand strength, but most of all a willingness to get stuck in and have a go. Some days we’ll be in the wood all day and we’ll have to do this whatever the weather. If you’re uncertain about your ability to do any of this lets have a chat about it.

Payment plans

There is the option to pay in 4 instalments to spread the cost. Pay for the first installment before 31st July to receive an early bird discount.

I’m happy to arrange alternative payment plans if you need, send me an email and lets chat about it.

If you have any more questions about the course please get in touch.

Where do I stay?

The programme is non-residential.

The Lake District is full of accommodation so you won’t have a problem finding something nearby. Here’s a selection of local accommodation.

B&B, hotels, self-catering

There are too many to list here, search booking.com, AirBnB, Sykes Cottages or Coniston Coppermines Cottages

Camping

Just 2 miles away is Grizedale Campsite. A laid-back campsite, you can sleep in vans, tent or hire one of their glamping yurts and pods. Grizedale Camping

Hostel

On the outskirts of our local village, Hawkshead, is a YHA. YHA Hawkshead

YHA Ambleside is also very close and is open all year round. Beds start at £15/night.

Bunkhouse & camping

Abbot Park Farm is a little way down the valley. There’s two bunkhouse units and camping is available too. Meals can be arranged or there’s good food in the local pub.


Terms and Conditions

Participant cancellation:

Because of the higher cost and limited spaces my terms are different to usual.

By signing up to the course you are committing to the full duration of the course and all 10 sessions.

If you need to cancel your place on the course please give me as much notice as possible.

If cancellation is more than 60 days before the start date I will re-advertise and endeavour to fill the place. You will get a full refund minus a £500 fee.

If cancellation is less than 60 days before the course start date you will not be automatically eligible for a refund unless I manage fill the place. If your place gets filled you will be refunded the full amount minus £500.

The programme is progressional in skills and techniques so once the course has begun your place cannot be refunded.

I appreciate emergencies happen. Get in touch and I’ll try to help in any way I can.

Course cancellation:

If there are not enough bookings for the course to be viable by 30 days before the course date, then I will contact all course members immediately by phone or email and all payments will be refunded in full.

Intellectual property

The Wood Water Weave programme is an original design by Lorna Singleton and is the subject of copyright and design rights. The programme itself, its name, concept, and teaching materials are the intellectual property of Lorna Singleton and cannot be replicated unless with Lorna Singleton’s express written consent. Certain aspects of the programme will not be available to photograph, video or publish, this will be made explicit at the time.

Students have access to a Google Drive folder of learning resources on the understanding that these are for personal use, to further their skills and techniques, and access is given on the understanding that these will not be used elsewhere or reproduced except under agreement from Lorna Singleton.

The programme covers a mixture of traditional patterns and original designs by Lorna Singleton. Those designs and any other works may not be copied or otherwise reproduced in whole or in part except with Lorna Singleton’s express written consent, personal to the requesting party. Provided that I, Lorna Singleton, have no objection to non-commercial users making limited examples of my teaching designs for the purpose of practising their technique and building their skills. Further provided that any such basket is sold with an express acknowledgement of Lorna Singleton’s rights in the design. All rights reserved.

 
 
 

“I was a little reluctant at first to sign up for this course given its a big commitment financially and for the fact that I’d never woven a basket before! Any doubts were helped by an initial chat with Lorna before the course started and after the first sessions I am already convinced that it was a very worthwhile decision.”

The Rusland Valley is a wonderful place to learn the ways of split basket making.

The venue has been pretty ideal and I’ve really enjoyed the camaraderie & support I’ve received from the other course participants and great tutors thus far!

2023 participant