Wood Water Weave
Wood Water Weave
7 places available
£6250
Online information session Thursday 12th November 6.30pm. Book your place at the bottom of this page, click the button below to take you there.
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.
What is it?
The original long-term course in 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, and others, either by me or another expert tutor. Learn how to boil oak, split hazel, and steam other tree species to weave baskets in styles from the UK, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Spain and US.
Numbers are limited so you’ll get plenty of 1-1 attention. The programme for the year is partly dictated by seasonal cycles of harvesting materials. I leave some flexibility in the last months to tailor those classes to the needs of the group. You can try a particular style you’ve researched, revisit previous lessons, make baskets to a design spec etc.
There aren’t any compulsory workbooks, homework or qualifications. If you do have time and the opportunity to it would help your learning to practice skills in between sessions, especially knife work at the start of the course, and I provide suggested homework ideas so you can make the most of your commitment.
A Discord 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 an artist wanting to incorporate strong, natural materials into your practice.
This course is your way to put aside dedicated time each month to learn and hone the skills you need and grow your interest into a business.
Applications
Applications for the 2027 programme are now open, the application form is at the bottom of this page so scroll through and read all the information or click here to go straight there.
Successful applicants will be invited to buy the tickets, which are available to pay in full, or in instalments, but full payment must be made before the course begins in January. I’m really sorry to say I’ve had to remove the option to pay in 10 monthly amounts.
Keep scrolling for more information
Not sure if this course for you?
Join our online information session on Thursday 12th November, 6.30pm to find out more and ask questions.
Book your place at the bottom of this page.
““I was a little reluctant at first to sign up for this course given its a big commitment financially. Any doubts were helped by an initial chat with Lorna before the course started and after the first session I was convinced that it was a very worthwhile decision.”
The Rusland Valley is a wonderful place to learn the ways of split wood basket making.
The venue has been ideal and I’ve really enjoyed the camaraderie & support I’ve received from the other course participants and great tutors!”
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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.
This is the historic region of oak spelk basketry, what better place to learn to weave with split wood.
Our teaching base is The Rusland Valley Reading Rooms with the woodland sessions close by within the valley. The postcode for the venue is LA12 8JZ
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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. Additional materials may be available to buy to support your learning in between sessions.
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 herbal teas plus delicious homemade cakes and healthy snacks.
Plus:
Exclusive access to teaching resources.
Quality photographs 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 next Wood Water Weave course. The perfect way to reinforce all that knowledge.
Future opportunities will be passed on to graduates first, such as exhibiting, retail and other opportunities to collaborate.
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Starting in January 2027, the course will run for 3 days each month, excluding June and December.
All dates are Saturday, Sunday, Monday.
January 23, 24, 25
February 20, 21, 22
March 20, 21, 22
April 24, 25, 26
May 22, 23, 24
June no session
July 24, 25, 26
August 21, 22, 23
September 18, 19, 20
October 16, 17, 18
November 13, 14, 15
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The exact programme is open to change throughout the course as I adapt it to suit the group. The focus is on learning the techniques rather than on making perfect baskets first time.
You’ll make a range of baskets on the course which could possibly include:
Hazel baskets in styles found in Scandinavia, Austria and other European mountain regions.
North American patterns
Frame basket like Wicklow oak chip basket or Herefordshire hazel whisket.
Spanish style basket in Sweet chestnut or split willow.
Frame baskets made to your design in material of your choice
Round base spoked basket.
Lighting
The baskets selected cover a comprehensive range of techniques giving you the skills to make any design you want in the future
Some sessions include practical coppicing days in oak and hazel woodlands so you leave with the confidence to source your own materials.
Woven throughout the course are conversations on healthy bodies, values, exhibiting, design strategies, where to seek additional support and so much more.
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The programme is non-residential.
The Lake District is full of accommodation so you won’t have a problem finding something nearby, but I advise booking early to get better rates. 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. Be aware that the prices of self-catering can double or triple in the summer month.
Camping
Just 2 miles away is Grizedale Campsite. A laid-back campsite where you can sleep in vans, tents or hire one of their glamping yurts and pods. They have their own eggs meat and vegetables for sale and a food truck on summer weekends.
Hostel
On the outskirts of our local village, Hawkshead, is YHA Hawkshead that is open from April to October.
YHA Ambleside is also 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.
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The venue is in a rural location and can be difficult to get to without your own transport. The nearest public transport is in Hawkshead village, or the A590 at Haverthwaite, both are 5 or so miles away from the venue.
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Weaving with wood is very physical and necessitates a level of fitness and strength and the stamina to keep active for 7 hours a day. The willingness to get stuck in and have a go will be your most important skill. Some days we’ll be in the wood all day and we will have to do this whatever the weather. If you’re uncertain about your ability to do any of this contact me to discuss it.
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I have numerous serious and debilitating health problems from covid and have to avoid further infections. Participants will be asked to take a covid PCR test each morning and to protect your investment in this training you might want to take precautions in your life to avoid infection. You can read more about this in the terms and conditions.
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Instalments are set at:
First instalment of £2100 payable immediately to secure your place.
Second instalmen tof £2100 payable by 30th November 2026.
Third instalment of £2050 payable by 30th December 2026.
You may also pay for all three at once if you have the money available.
Whichever payment option you choose the full payment must be made before 30th December 2026, without exception.
Gift Vouchers are available. Buying yourself a voucher each month is an easy way to save up for the Wood Water Weave fee for future years. They are redeemable for 36 months.
When you’re considering your budget don’t forget to include travel costs, accommodation and time off work.
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.
Wood Water Weave participant 2023
Learners Agreement
My hope is for you to find your Wood Water Weave learning experience rewarding and fulfilling. Please take a moment to read through this as it outlines what you can expect and it’ll aid us to have an enjoyable year together. A copy of this will be in your notebook to refer to during the year.
I appreciate you are taking a big commitment in terms of money, time and energy and I want to encourage you to honour this commitment and make the most of your time.
My commitment
By the end of the programme you will be confident in different methods of riving and preparing wood for use. You will be able to look at a basket, confidently guess the material, understand the construction and be able to replicate it.
I’ll try my best to cater to your learning styles, ie. some people are more visual, learn through doing, through demonstrations, handouts, by doing etc.
I continually assess knowledge and skills development throughout the course and adapt the programme to the needs of the group. For this reason a full plan isn’t always available ahead of time, but know that it is meticulously planned.
I provide first aid kits, health and safety assessments & insurance cover. The programme provides you with comprehensive training to avoid incidents.
All learners are entitled to learn in an environment which is physically safe and free from abuse. If you engage in repeated unsafe tool use, or abusive, violent or otherwise inappropriate behaviour you will be asked to leave the programme without reimbursement.
I am not responsible for any damage or theft to your personal belongings during the programme. However the communities created through the course are close and trusting so this is highly unlikely to happen.
Materials
All materials during the sessions are included.
Extra materials cannot be taken home to finish projects in between sessions.
Handouts are provided as a reference. There is much more information in the course than can be written in the handouts so please make your own notes.
Expectations of you
Payments must be made by the agreed dates.
You are an autonomous person, responsible for your own body and experience. The timing of our days is carefully planned so it is smoother if we take refreshment breaks at the same time. Please do whatever you need to to aid this (hydration breaks, toilet). You need to be available to gather for demonstrations and group information when called.
Take charge of your learning experience. Take time to reflect on sessions.
If anything is unclear or you’d like to revisit skills then let me know in the feedback form. The whole group will benefit from extra information and clarification too. A link to the feedback form is in the Discord server.
If you feel a different pace or style of learning would benefit you then please let me know & I’ll do my best to provide that where the group allows.
The group is likely a mix of learning styles so at times you may have to wait while others get attention– mutual respect within the group while other are learning.
Homework suggestions are provided. This is not compulsory but any extra attention given will exponentially accelerate your learning. The simplest option involves a couple of minutes a day, which can easily be achieved over a cup of tea.
Guest tutors
Some programme sessions may be with a guest tutor. These tutors are selected as experts in techniques that I’m not as experienced in. Their teaching styles may differ from mine.
Guest tutors will only visit once so please make the most of this time to ask as many questions as you can think of and extract as much information as you can.
I will be assisting during these sessions, available for any additional questions that might crop up and where appropriate will relate back to other sessions to aid your learning.
Intellectual property
Any works created during the course sessions are a collaboration between Lorna Singleton and you, and therefore you do not own the intellectual property of these works. You may not exhibit, display or sell these items as your own work.
You do own the IP of any products designed by you during the sessions. Any such that are made on your own outside of the programme may be sold and exhibited as you wish.
You’ll have a good collection of baskets by the end of the year that you won’t want to sell or giveaway and students are often tempted to take these to events and shows where they are displayed as their own work. This is a breach of my IP. I recommend you make time to create your own collection for this purpose.
Copying or sharing any handouts is theft of my IP. It is possible to use any of my resources for teaching purposes under license. Ask me about that.
Photography
Photography of the sessions will be used for promotion of the programme. If you’d rather not appear in photographs please let me know.
Photographs can be shared on the Discord server. You are free to use any photographs of you in your own work and I encourage you to share your snapshots on here. They make a lovely memento.
Don’t photograph or video me while I’m demonstrating to the group. I find that students can be so focussed on recording skills that they aren’t taking in the information cognitively. I encourage you to be present in the moment to actively learn. If you want a reminder of grips or parts of the weave you may take your own photographs afterwards or ask me to pose afterwards for you.
A professional photographer will attend one session towards the end of the session so that we have photography in case of future exhibitions.
Your confidential information
Your application form will be deleted from Google forms once the course begins. However I retain a paper copy throughout the year to refer to your expected outcomes. These will be destroyed at the end of the year.
Feedback forms are anonymous and testimonials may be used to advertise future courses
By accepting your offer of a place and making first payment you are indicating that you accept and understand the conditions of your offer and that you take responsibility for meeting these conditions of the offer
Participant cancellation:
Because of the higher cost of running this course and the limited spaces my terms are different to usual.
By signing up to the course you are committing to the full duration of the course, full payment before the programme begins and all 10 sessions.
No refunds will be available for missed sessions, including if you have to leave because of a positive covid test. I advise you take out insurance to cover that possibility and take precautions against covid infection. I understand that you might not be taking precautions any more and I’m more than happy to advise you.
The programme is progressional in skills and techniques so once the course has begun your place cannot be refunded.
There is a learners agreement that you will be asked to sign upon accepting your place.
I appreciate emergencies happen. Get in touch and I’ll try to help in any way I can.
Course cancellation:
If you are accepting a place you must make first instalment before 29th November.
If there are not enough payments for the course to be viable (5 people) by 30 days before the course date, 23rd December 2026, then I will contact all course members immediately by phone or email and all payments will be refunded in full.
Please bear these terms in mind when booking accommodation.
Covid policy
This is to protect us all from harm from the SARS-Cov-2 virus. I have been badly disabled by Covid, Lyme and EBV and have to avoid any viruses, plus I strongly believe in community care and want you to be in the best health you can be to start this physical course. I know it can be difficult to find accurate guidance now and I’m happy to connect you to any support or information you might want.
Everyone must test for covid at the venue each morning of the course. I have PCR machines that are accurate to 99%.
The tests results are only safe for 12hours and Covid can be infectious for up to 5 days before you show symptoms, which is why we test each morning.
For the test to run valid you must avoid food, drink (even water), cigarettes, gum etc for 30 minutes beforehand or it can run invalid. The tests are expensive so its important to try and avoid invalid results.
Tests take up to 30 minutes, in that time you may want to wear a mask. I recommend a well fitting FFP3 mask, The Face Mask Store are a good source and some cities have mask blocs you can donate to or obtain free masks from if the cost is a hindrance. FFP2 are also ok, and tend to have ear loops instead of head bands which some people find more comfortable, however they’re not as protective.
We will be pool testing, which means that 3 or 4 people’s swabs are tested together. If the test shows a positive we’ll have to test individually to find the positive(s).
If you test positive you won’t be able to stay for the class. You are welcome to test again the following morning and rejoin if you are negative. I advise you take out insurance to cover your costs for this possibility. I know this isn’t a great scenario and you will have made a big commitment and investment to be here, so ideally you would try to prevent infection risks in between sessions.
You might want to use a lateral flow test before leaving for the course, you can buy them in most pharmacies and online. The positives they show are reliable but beware they aren’t very sensitive any more (estimated about 30% accurate) and a negative isn’t necessarily reliable.
The teaching space is well ventilated and I have a portable HEPA air filter that will be running all day. It is very low sound.
If you test negative but are symptomatic for cold or flu you could consider wearing a mask to protect your classmates from infection.
As a guide, this year no-one has had a positive test and covid levels have been at an all time low over summer 2026, although they are rising again now. The tests give us all peace of mind when others are struggling with hayfever symptoms and similar.
Everyone should feel safe and respected in the class space and I will always have masks available if it would make you feel more comfortable to wear one.
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 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. Original designs and any other works may not be exhibited, 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.
Terms and Conditions
Book your place at the online Information session to find out more about the programme.
Thursday 12th November 6.30pm