Green Woodworking Courses

Having been given the Stool Making course as a birthday gift by my children, I was really looking forward to learning something different.
I certainly wasn’t disappointed. In fact, it was a superb couple of days learning the skills to make a piece of furniture. It was a relaxing and hugely enjoyable weekend. Our hosts, Danny and Jodie, were so welcoming and created a very friendly atmosphere. Importantly, the teaching element was delivered in a straightforward way and made the whole course much easier than I had anticipated. The group that I was with were a great bunch to spend time with.
I would heartily recommend anyone to go on the course, even if you think it might be tough.
Danny and Jodie will get you to a successful finish!

I have done a number of courses over the years but this was the best by far. Danny and Jodie were great teachers and managed to guide 10 of us over the 2 days into creating a vast array of different stools. Everyone worked at their own pace and we were all guided and supported every step of the way. The setting is absolutely the best (I stayed overnight in the hut which was also a great experience which I would recommend even if you lived locally) and most of all Danny creates an incredibly safe space. Lunches were really filling and tasty and I left at the end of the 2nd day feeling very grateful, with some new skills, more confidence and a great stool that I am really proud of.

I would really highly recommend you taking a course with Danny & Jodie It is almost guaranteed (by me) that you will leave at the end of it with much more than you could have imagined

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 😉

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

“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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

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)

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!!

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

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!

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

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……..

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.

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!!

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.

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!

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

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

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!

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.

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.

…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!!

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

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!

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.

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!

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.

There is something quite magical about chopping up tree trunks and making them into a refined piece of furniture in the space of a week. the setting and atmosphere were perfect.

A fantastic course, brilliantly run and at a pace that everyone was able to achieve the goal of making a chair. The teaching made it accessible to both the novice and engaging for those with more experience. Make no mistake you will come home with a chair that will hold found memories and be something to be proud of. All the necessary tools and equipment were of excellent quality and there was no need to bring anything, not even lunch!

If you have an incline that you would like to make something to be proud of, from greenwood working, you should definitely get on one of these courses.

Great course, all the help you need and an amazing week in the woods. Raw materials and sharp tools provided, delicious veg soup, good bread and lovely cheeses for lunch , lots of tea and coffee (plus cake/flapjacks/biscuits). Be prepared for mud, but the rain didn’t make it any less enjoyable and meant that when the sun came out we really appreciated it! Amazed by the quality of the chair I managed to produce, just wish I had room for more of them and I’d be back. Thank you Danny, Jodie and Peter, Danny’s Mum and Barney the dog

We absolutely loved the whole week making our chairs!
The woodland is a perfect location, great people and lots of fresh air. It is so meditative when you are on your own making the legs of the chairs and the spindles for the arms and yet when you turn around, everyone is doing the same thing harmoniously in this peaceful wood land. You can be lost in your own thoughts and reflect about life….I have not stopped talking about it since we arrived back home. You will be meeting some of our friends coming over to do the course!
The chairs have been homed lovingly in each corner of the dining room and there is a story behind it! A precious souvenir from our holiday!
Danny is a great teacher/mentor, funny, patient and chilled! Jodie is delightful, always eager to help and a great asset. Peter with his dog Barnie is a man with experience helping all of us. Barnie is very cuddly!!
Highly recommended!

Just spent, without doubt, one of the best and most satisfying week’s of my life in a beautiful forest setting learning traditional woodcraft. I can’t speak highly enough of Danny, Jodie and Peter who were incredible hosts throughout, providing amazing support, skills and food which topped off the whole week. I generally don’t do online reviews, but wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this experience to anyone. Best of all is the beautiful chair at the end of it – will definitely be back for the coffee table next time! Thanks to all of you for making it so special.

As a compIete novice, I can’t tell you how delighted I am with my stool! This is a magical course to take, Danny is an inspiring and supportive teacher who helped us all get to grips with traditional woodworking skills, ably assisted by the lovely Jodie, who is always ready to help or give a nudge in the right direction as needed. The beautiful setting in the woods is like being in a bubble removed from the world for a couple of days, thank you to you both for all your guidance and for the delicious food!

Had the most brilliant time learning new skills in a lovely woodland setting. Danny and his team (Jodie & Peter) are so lovely and incredibly patient and helpful. I never believed I would be able to come away with such a beautiful chair. Amazing . The delicious lunch time soup, cheese and cakes were of course an added bonus. What an experience . Thank you.

A very well organised couple of days in the woods. Danny and Jodie are very experienced and incredicbly organised. The location and facilities are great. There was nothing that could stand in the way of me making a beautiful, simple stool. You can make a complex one, though!

I’ve recently done a 2 day stool making course with a voucher given to me when I retired from work. What a fab way to spend a couple of days in the beautiful Laughton woods. Danny and Jodie were really knowledgable and helpful and much to my surprise I did get to the end of day 2 with a completed stool which I love!!
For me as a novice there was a lot to learn and take on board, but there was lots of support from them both and also from other people in the group which was lovely. I can’t not mention the delicious homemade flapjack and vege lunches Danny and Jodie provided which help to sustain you through the day. I would definitely recommend this course. Thanks very much!

Jane and I loved camping in the wood, learning skills in a relaxed, fun atmosphere and eating delicious, healthy soup and bread and cheese. Danny, Jodie and Peter were helpful, encouraging and guided us gently through the whole process to producing chairs which we show off to anyone who will listen – and that’s pretty much everyone who sees them. We could have stayed for a lot longer. Balm for the soul and great seats for our bums!

My 3rd course with Danny in his woods and still just as amazingly restorative, gently guided, and with a wonderful end result. Now with the added calm organisation and wisdom of Jodie – I will be back for sure and cannot recommend you, the site and my time with you enough!

I took part in a two day stool making course and came home with a lovely piece. I had a great time learning new skills with a lovely group of people and Danny and Jodie. Highly recommended!

Couldn’t recommend more. My partner and I are DIY novices to say the least but we came away with two beautiful stools after two days with Danny and Jodie. The setting is beautiful in rural Sussex woodland and lovely snacks and lunch provided. Exactly the right level of direction while allowing us to learn for ourselves.

Over the two days we went from axe work to cut down blocks of tree trunk for legs through to shaping them using knives and the detailed finishing touches.