Abney Park, South Lodge

Please take note of the **location for the course you are booking**. We run these courses at both our workshops (at Abney Park in Stoke Newington and at Hackney City Farm). It will say on the booking page which venue that particular course is taking place at.

Spend some time together learning safe whittling skills. This workshop is for children and young people (aged 9-18) with an accompanying adult to learn whittling together.

**Please note - Each ticket admits 1 Adult and 1 Child together**\
Each child must be accompanied by an adult who is willing to supervise and work with them at all times. 

Using locally grown green wood we'll practice safe carving knife grips and make wands, wooden knives, marshmallow forks and other small projects.

For families that want to start whittling at home, this is great introduction for both adults and children to learn how to work safely with knives. We recommend that parents join this course so that they can keep their child safe when whittling at home and be confident in their child's abilities to work with knives and wood.

To make our family courses accessible to as many people as possible we have launched a 'Pay it Forward' ticket. This enables you to book a space for your own family whilst making a donation to fund a space for a family on a low income.

*Wood can be used for all manors of things. Mostly, and certainly in that case of London Green Wood, beautiful wood is used to create an array of stunning objects. However, did you know that wet wood, unlike dry wood, could also conduct electricity? That’s what we call versatile!*

This workshop is for children (aged 8-12) with an accompanying adult to learn whittling together. Using locally grown green wood we'll practice safe carving knife grips and make staffs, wands or wooden knifes. 

For families that want to start whittling at home, this is great introduction for both adults and children to learn how to work safely with knives.

* Whittle away to your heart's delight
* Practice your skills and make your own projects at home
* Supervise your child to use a whittling knife at home.

You get to take away all your creations from the day, whatever they may be!

Places book up fast, so book now to ensure a spot!

Abney Park Cemetery

Hackney City Farm

Ruth

Great experience, definitely plan to go back. Lovely activity & lovely location.

Gemma

Fantastic. Lovely surroundings, and nice to do something calming and learn a new skill!

An inspiring afternoon workshop from which we not only took away our wooden creations but sound knowledge of types of wood and safe whittling tips. Getting to work on the  'shaving horse' with a two handled knife was an added bonus.  Great to be outdoors working with our hands - we loved it! Thank you.

Family Whittling Workshop 9yrs+

Kim Slade

It was fantastic! Jo showed us, in stages, what we needed to do and let us get on with it. My son, Harry, loved it because he was able to be really hands on with the tools and you also get to take your piece home with you at the end. I especially loved it and we are now looking forward to our next workshop together with Jo. Highly recommend London Green Wood CIC and Jo for her lovely calm and informative approach.

Grainne McNeill

Both 9 year old Dermot and his grandad loved the session and plan to book another one very soon!

5 stars!

Emily Poole

This was a great workshop, we both really enjoyed it. It was really good to go to a workshop for a parent and child to learn a new skill together. I was hoping for a hand carving course though so we could continue at home after the course, so a little more information about the content before would have been very useful.  We will probably try and book another one in the summer though, the venue was good as was the instruction. 

Vitor

Jessica Neil

We really enjoyed it.  Well organised and in a great location.  It's good to learn something new and have something to take home with you.  My daughter wants to go back and do more.

Jennifer Johnston 

My 10 year old son and I loved this workshop. He was given so much independence to use the tools himself and great guidance to use them safely. He learnt loads and felt really proud of what he achieved. 

Luíza Chandy

This was a great class. Our girls are 10 and 15 years old. and in our class they both got to use the axe, the saw and the shave horse, all taught really well and safely. We came home refreshed after our time outside without screens and enjoyed it so much that we will be booking again sometime next year. 

Alice Toomey

We had a wonderful day, and came away wanting more, so already planning our next session. Thanks so much!

Esther Oxford

My 13-year-old son and I really enjoyed this session at Hackney City Farm. We made a butter knife and a marshmallow toasting fork - sitting by a fire. Jo and her colleague are charming and precise teachers. I highly recommend. 

Julian Madams

The session was well structured and lasted two hours outside under the trees.  We used green wood that had been freshly cut that day. We learned various techniques on knife holding, types of wood, what part of the tree to use to make different utensils, what to do to preserve the wood if you need to pause the project for a while. We worked on a marshmellow stick and a butter spreader. We didn’t finish.
Ben was a great teacher; we had a lot of fun.

Maeve Barclay-Brown

We didn’t really know what to expect but everyone absolutely loved this, a big groan went up from kids and adults alike when the teacher said we only had a few minutes left. The teacher was lovely, endlessly patient and good-natured. We all want to do it again. 

Noah Schenato

Sorry, We missed the lesson because of external event !!!

Vanesa van Vlerken

We had a lovely time whittling. The place is lovely and the person teaching as was super nice. I wish they had a regular weekend course for kids. 

Agi Tsang 

We really enjoyed the class and hope to be back regularly from spring.  The class was well organised, the leading lady ( bad memory to names 🤦‍♀️ Sorry) was very friendly, knowledgable and with positive attitude and approach to kids. We were lucky to have a small class of only 2 families. Thoroughly enjoyable experience.🙏 

Matthew Godfrey

Zach King

Esther was fantastic - really patient and helpful when there was something the kids were finding tricky. Zach was teaching his sister how to whittle yesterday and they were busy with it most of the day!! Thank you - would recommend

Madeleine  Bowyer

Great day out so nice to be whittling in nature in the middle of Hackney what a brilliant group very welcoming and felt safe at all times. Very much look forward to doing another workshop soon. 

john wagener

Me and my daughter really loved the class. thank you so much . we both learnt a lot and the tuition was very relaxed and we got to know the rest of the group a bit as well which was fun. well done. 

I think setting up the seats beforehand would have given us a bit more time to whittle  - then would be 5 stars

Laura Redman

This was a great workshop.  It really inspired my daughter and was fun to do together.  Wish there were more things for kids and families!

Janice Macaulay

Great tutor who gave us a wonderful introduction to whittling. It definitely made me want to do some more courses with them. Lovely location as well. 

ELEANOR RENNIE

We learned so much in our whittling session. I feel confident that we can embark on some home whittling now, having been inspired by what we can create and also how to make safely. Thankyou so much!

Robert Webster-Shaw

Really nice couple of hours, we both learnt some new skills from the very nice teachers. Most importantly my son has gained some safety techniques when using the knife. Very much recommend

Sarah Sim

Kate  Mayer

This was a great family activity, really well organised and paced. Lovely to do something that we all enjoyed equally, and it has inspired my son to keep whittling since the class too!

Weiwei Yang

My husband and I attended one of their Saturday family workshops at Hackney with our two children as absolutely beginners, and it went very well! Dave was very patient and kindly helped everyone working on their chosen project, and we also had the chance to interact with other families. Great experience!

Valentina Mengarelli

My 9 year old son and I attended a 2 hour whittling workshop with Dave and Oliver. We really enjoyed it and have booked to go again. Dave and Oliver were extremely welcoming, friendly, patient and gave a lot of attention to all participants. We both learned a lot and have been practising at home feeling safer and more knowledgeable. Thanks so much. See you again in July.

Cathy Feng

It's a wonderful experience for my son. He enjoyed the course and learn a lot from it. I would highly recommend this course to anyone. 

Conor Doyle

I am 10 years old and I came to the whittling workshop with my Dad. It was brilliant. The staff were really helpful and friendly. Great facilities. Thank you for a really enjoyable afternoon. 

Sarah  Howe

Such an amazing experience.  Lovely instructors, so patient, and they tailored their advice according to the individuals in the group.  Never thought I would find it as enjoyable and relaxing as I did.  An activity to be enjoyed by parents and children together.  Less than 24 hours later, we’ve already ordered a couple of scout knives and can’t wait to get started at home.  Huge thank you to our instructors!

Jana Eggink

Great experience,. Friendly and very patient instructors, having tow of them for only 4 kids was amazing. Thank all!

Elizabeth Kewell

Very good class, great teachers and lovely setting 

Naszra  Poese

Highly recommend Family Whittling Workshop, we had a amazing time.

Tanis Taylor

Wonderful, Dave protected our container through wind and rain and as a teacher engaged with every kid and adult on their level. My precautious kid got to ask every single one of her pedantic questions (which made her feel emboldened and safe) and I got to ask him for a bandaid in private when I cut myself by acting impulsively and not listening to what he wear saying. Next time I will bring my teenager because this stuff is too good for just the small kids!! There was a  corporate group next to us working who said (overheard) they had never in their life felt so ‘locked in’. 

Inga Simaite-Islam

My son and me had fantastic time together and learn something useful. He love it even with a little bit of the rain. We will be coming again

Kate Rogers

My daughter and I had a great time! 
We had plenty of time to create two pieces each and the instructor encouraged us to be creative whilst providing good grounding in using the tools safely.  
It was really fascinating and I hope to be able to visit again. Thank you! 

Thank you for lovely time and provided guidance. It's a great experience to teach me and my son to slow down and be patient

Charlotte Story

Great session, daughter really enjoyed it and got stuck in. A relaxing way to spend a couple of hours in good company. Will come again.

Guy Rawlings

A very rewarding and enjoyable time spent Wittling with my son. Weather held out so made a difference. A very nice instructor gave solid  brief on health and safety and tool handling. Regular encouragement and if required guidance. Highly recommended, looking forward to coming back one day. 

Stephen Fay

Georgia was a marvellous teacher - the perfect mix of inspiration and calm. Thanks so much.

Claudia Galetta

My daughter was over the moon with this experience.  She had a great time. 

Family Whittling Workshop - 8-12 yrs

Question 1

Child's name

Question 2

Child's age

Question 3

Accompanying adult name

Spend a few hours in our beautiful outdoor workshop making your own spatula from locally grown wood. Suitable for complete beginners.

We will take you through the steps to create a beautiful and useful kitchen utensil. You will be using a drawknife and a shavehorse to go from freshly split wood to a handcrafted spatula.

This is a great taster course for anyone who's considering our longer courses. 

This is a seated course, we will be working on shave horses, so it's suitable for people who are unable to stand for long periods of time. 


Make a spatula at Abney Park Cemetery

Lynne  Eva

Had a brilliant afternoon learning to carve a spatula.  Excellent tutor and I came away with 3 unique cherry wood spatulas.

Ruth Bonazza

Thank you for the relaxing afternoon of spatula making. A really knowledgeable and patient teacher! Perfect for myself as a beginner and now I have two lovely spatulas to remember the day!

Christopher Darby

Really enjoyed this! Graham was a great instructor. Would love to do again!

Ben Manning

A lovely way to spend an afternoon, working under Graham's excellent guidance.  Would recommend this to anybody even vaguely interested!

Kate Frew

Absolutely loved it. Made 2 spatulas, very happy with them and learnt a lot. Would defo come back for another course! 

Constance Littlehailes

Really enjoyed this! Graham was ace, friendly, clear in his instructions and attentive. I finished the session with two fresh new spatulas and a sense of achievement.

Rachel Parr

A chilled morning under the awning making spatulas. Great instruction from Ed talking us through the stages, a mug of tea, a chance to chat with others and 2 spatulas made. Many thanks we’ll be back! 

Amara Thornton

Concessionary rates available. 10% discount on courses scheduled on weekdays

Please take note of the **location for the course you are booking**. We run these courses at both our workshops (at Abney Park in Stoke Newington and at Hackney City Farm). It will say on the booking page which venue that particular course is taking place at.

Learn safe whittling skills with locally grown wood. This workshop is for children aged 6-8years to gain some skills and confidence working with whittling knives.

**Each ticket admits 1 Adult and 1 Child together**\
Each child must be accompanied by an adult who is willing to supervise and work with them at all times

Using locally grown green wood we'll practice safe carving knife grips and make wands or wooden knives.

For families that want to start whittling at home, this is great introduction for both adults and children to learn how to work safely with knives. We recommend that parents join this course so that they can keep their child safe when whittling at home and be confident in their child's abilities to work with knives and wood.

To make our family courses accessible to as many people as possible we have launched a 'Pay it Forward' ticket. This enables you to book a space for your own family whilst making a donation to fund a space for a family on a low income.

Family Whittling 6-8yrs

Anna Wynn-higgins

My 7 year old had a fantastic time in family whittling!

Michelle Woolfenden

We loved the whittling workshop! Thank you. It was pitched just perfectly for my 7 yr old daughter, but also fun for me as the adult as I was able to make something too. Jo the teacher was friendly and really good with advice and safety information, as well as telling us about the wood we were using. We tried about 3 different techniques and made a couple of lovely marshmallow sticks. We are inspired to buy our own knives and continue whittling! Thank you. 

Lesley Smith

Excellent. Both myself and my Grandson really enjoyed it. We are looking forward to the next workshop.
Highly recommended.

My 7 year old son loved this class. He learnt loads about different woods,  created two things by himself, using the tools independently and really enjoyed the hour. 

Jon Chin

The course was great - we learned a lot and my 8yo really enjoyed it. Richard the teacher was friendly, helpful, and informative, and the workshop was extremely satisfying!

James

A fun morning with lovely teachers - despite the snow!

Alex Villa

Caroline Quiec

Great little workshop, both my daughter and I had a great time, I appreciated the focus on safety with knives at all time. We’ll definitely come back. 

Eileen Quick

Lovely teachers
My grandson  loved the session
Thanks so much

Maurice Ballard

My 7 year- old son and I had a great time at London Green wood.  It was our first experience of whittling, and I couldn't believe how quickly time flew by.  We really lost ourselves in what we were trying to do.  It's not as easy as it looks, more practice is needed I think.  

Siobhan Watt

Me and my 7 year old really enjoyed this family workshop, set in a lovely quiet woodland inside Hackney city farm. Our teachers were very friendly and knowledgeable and we came away with a really good understanding of how to whittle safely! Looking forward to developing our skills in the future! 

Peyo Alvarez

Lovely introduction for young kids and their parents. Great way to build skills and to develop their creativity.

Kate Aldridge

My 6y old kid and I both loved the family whittling session. The tutor was really friendly, encouraging, calm and child focused. We both had a very peaceful and engaging time and learnt lots of skills to take home with us. 

Clementine Mason

Such a lovely class to introduce kids and parents to whittling and knife safety. We’re hooked! 

Erika Martin

My 6 year old son and I had the most lovely time together. Our instructor was so nice and calm, the setting was gorgeous, and the coffee was good. It was a great introduction to basic whittling techniques, and we are both inspired to learn more - my son has asked for a knife and we are planning on returning for another session. Thank you. 

Sarah  Halford 

A really lovely hour spent learning a new skill with my daughter,  great set up , friendly and patient and allowed space for exploring working with the knife provided in a safe way . Looking forward to our next workshop :)
Fully recommend -

Raluca Cenusa

We both loved the class. My son had some whittling practice from forest school but learned some new techniques and most importantly had a lot of fun! The teachers were lovely and supportive, the venue is beautiful and calm. We’ll definitely come back!

nalayini  Gajan

Both by boys loved their session! It was run by Dave and even I got super into it! Thank you Dave! 

Maya Gur

The activity is great but some of the staff wasn’t really nice or understood how to engage children. Shame. 

This course is designed to give participants an introduction to green woodworking; using hand tools on unseasoned wood straight from the log.

This is a four day course, taught outdoors at our Hackney City Farm workshop. Course dates are either over a long weekend Thursday-Sunday, or weekly on Fridays. Please check the dates before booking.

This is our most in-depth course and can be adapted to all levels of experience. The aim is for you to become safe and confident with an axe and a knife. You will have a go with specific green woodwork equipment: shave horses and pole lathes. 

Suitable for all including complete beginners, those who have carpentry experience but are new to green woodwork, and those who have done a little green woodwork and would like to learn more. 

We will work with locally sourced wood, making a series of practice projects, such as spoons and spatulas. You will learn how to select and prepare wood, safe and confident axe techniques, knife grips from the Swedish tradition of spoon carving, how to use a shave horse and draw knife, pole-lathe turning and the basics of tool sharpening.

This course is also an induction to the workshop for new members of our coop. You will receive instructions on how to apply to become a member of London Greenwood after the course. Find out more about membership of our workshop here: https://londongreenwood.com/membership/

Included in the price of the course is your own Mora 120 knife to keep.

Limited low income and unwaged discounts are available for this course for those who would otherwise be unable to attend.








*It is well known that trees are capable of living for thousands of years. What is less known however is that trees never actually die of old age. Instead, it is usually insects, diseases and people that cause a tree to die*

Through making a series of practice projects, such as spoons and spatulas, you will learn: the principles of green woodwork, safe and confident axe techniques, knife grips from the Swedish tradition of spoon carving, tool sharpening and tool maintenance.

* Look after and sharpen your own tools
* Continue making with wood, either at home or at the London Green Wood workshop
* Give handmade presents to your friends and family

Students will take home all that is made during the course.

Places are limited so book now to make sure you get yours!

Clare

HELEN

Day one of a one-day-a-week course done and it was great.  Small group, great teacher - I have already acquired a huge amount of knowledge!

Fantastic, inspiring, workshop with great teaching and friendly students. Learned lots of practical skills and I love having breakfast every morning with my hand carved spoon!

Really great course .
Jo is a very good teacher - relaxed, but full of instruction.
We all got to learn different techniques, and how to use tools and devices which are specific to green woodwork (and not available in any diy store).
I would definitely recommend this course.

Really fun classes, I hadn't ever picked up a spoon knife before and this got me slightly addicted!

Great place, great community, best tutors!! Thank you!!

Absolutely loved the introduction to Green Woodwork workshop. Really practical and hands-on. Very friendly people and Jo is a great teacher

I found this course very well resourced and organised with a relaxed and encouraging atmosphere.    The location is second to none for a course of this type in London -it was wonderful to be working under the trees and the weather was kind

Jo is a patient and knowledgable teacher providing clear instructions of safe working techniques and there is plenty of opportunity to practice sharpening and the opportunity to work individually and together .    Added bonus is that past students also attend on Thursdays to work on their own projects so plenty of opportunity to  pick up tips from more experienced students.    I hope to be able to join in Thursday community access sessions from time to time.

Everyone is very lovely.
 I like them to share them own woodwork experience and have lunch together :)
I will go back to learn more from them

A brilliant course for people with little or no knowledge of woodworking. By the fourth and final session, we had acquired enough basic skills to cut down a piece of hazel and for each of us to turn a section of it into our own wooden spoon - immensely satisfying!

The introductory course is brilliant. Though it’s very relaxed you’ll earn how to make a range of different thing and you’ll come away with plenty of finished pieces. As well as a great teacher in Jo, you also get the support of a super helpful community of makers that use the space. I’ll be going back for sure - I’m currently shopping for tools.

Great course in a brilliant spot. Very welcoming and really informative

Great course. Attentive tuition, friendly people, lovely setting for the workshop. I'll be going back for sure!

I can't think of a better way to spend my Friday's  :)
Thanks so much to Jo, and the lovely crew that use the outdoor workshop, for sharing their skills in such a relaxed manner, it's been really nourishing.

This course was brilliant.  It is based around learning basic carving skills, but you make lots of stuff as well as a part of that (spoons, butter knives, scoops, spatulas etc).  Jo takes you to a level where you can confidently attempt projects of your own in a safe manner, and deals with axe work, hook knife, straight knife, draw knife, and a few other things (gouges, sharpening, aspects of design).  I really feel like I've been taught the basic approaches and techniques of a craft in quite a short time, and can now go forward and practice them.  Each Friday was the highlight of my week, and I look forward to returning to the workshop as often as I can in future.  The atmosphere at the workshop itself is a really potent antidote to living in a big city, and it feels like you're dipping into a wonderful community of people who are keeping a set of skills alive and in use even in London. Highly recommended to those who wish to deepen their knowledge of green woodworking beyond just making a single item.

Introduction to Green Woodwork Workshop

Madeleine Ladell

A truly excellent course. Having attended several one-day Green Woodwork courses I was keen to do the four-day Introduction. Jo is a wonderful teacher: patient, skilled and encouraging. She tailors the course to individuals and paces things really well. The course introduces you to axing, carving and whittling using straight and curved knives, sharpening tools, and getting into good habits by using tools safely. The atmosphere is always good with a variety of lovely people taking part and other skilled makers working alongside and giving helpful tips, all in the natural outdoor space. Completing the course allows you to become a member of the cooperative and use the facilities thereafter at designated times. Highly recommended. Thanks, Jo! 

alison taylor

Thoroughly enjoyable and invigorating; the classes were the highlight of my week. The tutors (Dave and Jo) were knowledgeable and welcoming and I was amazed how quickly we progressed. They taught us how to use different tools and techniques confidently, always with safety foremost. Every day I took home items I had made and could use. Highly recommended for those who want to be outdoors, learn craft skills, be amongst similar co-operatively minded folk and are happy to take advice from all manner of friendly spoon makers who drop in to use the tools and equipment. 

Another 5 star course.  The Introduction to Green Woodwork course was a great way to learn to work with a range of tools and wood. Informative and relaxed and guided brilliantly by Jo and Dave who provided skilful, nudging towards improving techniques.  Over the four days I came away with a number of hand-made items and feeling much more confident with my green wood working.  Inspiring. I would wish this course for anyone wanting a little respite from the pace of this city of ours. Thank you. 

Radhika Shah

wonderful space in London. 
welcoming and friendly. 
Great introduction to green woodworking . thank you 

Nicholas Evans

Excellent course. The tutor was very capable and while being relaxed did ensure a 'safe environment' given the nature of the work and the use of (very) sharp tools. She also was very approachable and was very constructive in her comments. I have  now joined the 'London Green Wood' membership and intend to do further courses with them. 

Valerie Hazan

I had a brilliant time at the Intro to Green Woodwork workshop. This is done in small groups of six so with lots of individual attention and a really enjoyable group dynamic. The emphasis is very much on learning to use essential tools for green wood work safely, and small projects are done each week to practice these skills. Jo is a brilliant teacher and there is a supportive atmosphere with other woodworkers also working on projects in the outdoor workshop. Lots of tea/coffee and shared snacks. Our 4 week course was interrupted due to Covid-19 restrictions but Jo has kept in touch with us and will arrange for our group to finish the course together when next possible.  I can't wait!

Caterina C

Expert and thoughtful teaching to a small group in a secluded location - it was great to be outdoors even in the cold and wet (under rain cover). Very enjoyable

Rupert Bozeat

Excellent teaching, new techniques and tools. Good range of items to make and to be able to make a final piece from log to table is a wonderful experience. 

Joanna Bending

I really enjoyed the course - teaching was excellent, and the range of tasks was well considered.  Would definitely recommend! 

Tessa Dash

The 4 day introduction course was great fun - the tutors were wonderful and I learned new skills each day. I'm can't wait to do another course!

janet davies

Really good course, both teachers very informative and helpful. It was a busy four days and great that we were hands on working all the time
Lots of space to ask questions and a good mix of group and individual attention

Teresa Sarroca

The course was fantastic. The pace was relaxed and allowed for all of us to move forward as a group but plenty of time to go at your own pace and level. The space itself is so nice and everyone was very warm and welcoming. I would strongly recommend the course! A really great way to unplug and be outside and you learn loads. We left feeling very confident in being able to take things forward on our own. 

Kate Maidment

Lovely place, nice people and great teachers - fully recommend! 

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