Bushcraft, survival and wilderness skills courses

Well to say things were busy would be something of an understatement.

 I gave up counting after building the 44th den of the day and twice had to order out from the  Rangers for more brash, branches and tea ( I didn't get 5 minutes in the whole day to get the kettle on.) with 1400 visitors to the country skills day there was a constant flow of volunteers eager to learn the fundamental skills of building the bestest, secretest coolest looking dens there are.

Well its a year already and after last years successful earth oven building and wilderness pizzas, I have been asked to return for the day to Arlington Court with some den building workshops.

Come along on the 1st of June and spend the day experiencing a whole range of country crafts and skills, explore the wilderness. Why not bring some pizzas and fire up the oven for yourself?


If last year was anything to go buy then Arlington's country skills show 2011 will be a full day out for any family.

After a late show of interest in introductory courses we have decided to run an additional course in September. The course will be run in the Arlington Court estate and is part of the Wild camping trial that we have initiated with the National Trust. Certifying attendees that complete the course to return to stay in the woods overnight for the next five years.

The course is a introduction to  all the fundamental skills to start you on your way to being a fully fledged bushcrafter and although no two courses are ever the same will cover friction fire lighting, shelter building, wild foods, tracking and some rudimentary woodland crafts.

Attendees will leave the weekend with a good grounding and experience that should let them venture into the woods alone and spend a few nights in comfort enjoying the wilderness and honing their skills.

After the resounding success with Arlington courts oven I have been asked by a few visitors on the day whether I run Earth oven building courses.

Not something I thought would attract too many people however I did promise that if we could find a minimum of 6 people then we can run a one day course that will cover all you need to know on the basics of building an earth oven. So you can return home and start your own project in the back garden.

Well it has been a busy few days and a long time since I sat in front of a computer, all for good reason and Im back to report on the most recent event, building an earth oven at Arlington Court.

There is not a great deal to building an earth oven and I think its the sort of thing everyone should get involved with once in their lives, there is a real sense of achievement when you get the first whiff of cooking bread and pizza and even with the odd gritty bit there's no taste like a true al fresco meal. home baked in the great outdoors. They can be built as a temporary bushcraft project or with a little thought and planning something a little more permanent that can sit next to the barbecue for years to come.

What a perfect Day for a introductory wild food foray into the wilder side of  Arlington Court, a National Trust venue just outside Barnstaple North Devon. On the day I was running regular walks following their wilderness trail and pointing out some of the more popular wild foods and throwing in ( I just can't seem to help myself.) the occasional bushcraft tip, and recipe.

Feedback so far has been very positive and it looks like there will be similar events going on throughout the summer so please check their website for more details.

A few of my fellow foragers on the day asked for some recipes and a book list so over the next few weeks Im hoping to add some of my favourites here and would suggest you experiment for yourselves as your wild food recognition improves.

First off, I cannot emphasise too much that you must be 100% positive of your plant identification before you do anything with a wild plant. 99% sure is not good enough so before the recipes a few of the books and other resources that I use include:

Well it started as a suggestion to Arlingtons head ranger and gone up the chain from there.

Whilst scouting new locations at the venue I mentioned how many people come on my courses then don't have a place to go and practice their new found skills. We spoke of the suspicions that some landowners have of anyone who might choose to spend free time smelling of wood smoke and avoiding power tools and other gadgetry. I suggested a dream I have had for a few years now, that once a person has proven themselves able to spend time in the wilds as  a true woodsman, living by the leave no trace code then that should be somehow recognised and rewarded with a series of venues throughout the land where they are welcome to camp and practice bushcraft.

Wow!

Another busy week and I can barely contain myself after another visit to Arlington Court. Had a good walk round the outer parts of the estate with Murray the head ranger who was enthused by the opportunities that could lie ahead for WildPath and The National Trust.

Although as always the most exciting stuff can't yet be disclosed we have confirmed the dates for the drop in workshops that will be running in 2010.

These will be run by me for free and available to any visitors to the estate

Well Just in from a very productive Wander round the grounds of Arlington Court. And come home with a spring in my step and a big smile. After seeing my demonstrations at the sheepdog trial I have been invited to run the occasional bushcraft themed day for the National Trust.

We have already confirmed 3 dates for next year, and are currently looking at other opportunities for other events; including the potential of two or three day’s courses which will include overnight stays.
Though we took a short walk round a loop of the estate there is a possible 2700 acres of space to explore and host WildPath events. It truly is a venue perfect for Bushcraft courses and considering how difficult it is to find good venues in North Devon this one is something of a gem.