Assington Mill runs a varied and ever changing set of courses themed around practical, environmental and hobby subjects. We are sure you will find a subject of interest. Please click here for details of Assington Mill.
CHAIN-SAWING for AMATEURS
Bring your chainsaws and Neil Reekie will teach maintenance, sharpening & safety, and will demonstrate felling techniques. A must for anyone using a chainsaw.
Saturday 21 January, £95 inc. lunch (10 people only).
THE ART OF MOSAIC
Create your own mosaic using ceramic and glass tesserae along with a variety of recycled materials. Learn all the techniques needed to complete your own project under the guidance of experienced Mosaic Artist Anne Schwegmann Fielding. Weekend 28/29 Jan. £145 inc. lunch & mats.
TRADITIONAL SIGN-WRITING
A rarely-offered one-day course on traditional sign-writing, from a professional signwriter, Wayne Tanswell.
Tuesday 7 February, £140 inc. lunch & materials.
GOAT KEEPING (new)
This course is aimed at the complete beginner and will cover housing requirements, feeding of adult and kid goats, health and hygiene (including worming, hoof trimming and vaccinations), common diseases, how to identify and treat them and also DEFRA and Animal Trading Standards requirements. Leader: Beverley Whelan
Sunday 12 February, £70 inc. lunch.
BEEKEEPING for BEGINNERS
A one-day course on how to set up an apiary, what equipment to buy, beekeeping terminology, the life cycle of the bee, how to identify the different members of the hive, the bee calendar, and diseases. Leader: Simon Cousins. Sundays 19 Feb & 18 March, £80 inc. lunch.
ROPE WORK, BOAT FENDER/MATS (new)
Learn some basics of the craft from an ex-mariner by making a boat fender or mat. Leader: Will Davenport.
Saturday 25 February, £65 inc. lunch, materials extra.
KEEPING A FEW PIGS
The course will cover: what breed, housing, enclosures, feeding & breeding, etc. Leader: Kevin Blundell.
Sunday 26 February, £80 inc. lunch.
FELT-MAKING
Felt-making is an ancient textile process. Come and learn how to transform washed and combed sheep’s fleece into beautiful, tactile, durable felt, using nothing more than soap, water & friction. Leader: Frances Barker.
Saturday 3 March, £75 inc. lunch (plus materials £15).
PLUMBING BASICS for DIY-ers
Learn to change taps and washers, cure leaking showers, radiators, ball valves etc. For those who like to DIY. Leader: Mick Duke.
Sunday 4 March, £80 inc. lunch.
UPHOLSTERY
Save money! Bring a dining chair or stool and learn to re-upholster it with the help of professional Gary Phipps of Danbury Upholsterers (or bring an existing project).
Thu/Fri 8/9 March, £185 inc. lunch, tea & coffee etc.
ORGANIC VEG-GROWING (new)
A one-day course to help you get the best from your organic veg plot, however large or small. Heaps of useful advice and all your veg growing questions answered. Suitable for beginners and improvers.
Leader: Pauline Pears of Garden Organic.
Saturday 10 March, £75 inc. lunch.
BIRDS OF PREY EXPERIENCE
Meet a variety of raptors including Hawks, Falcons and Owls with the opportunity to hold and fly them. We shall be looking at the different hunting methods of the various species and making simple equipment. Leaders Andrea & Paul Keyland. Sat 15 Sep, £95 inc. lunch (7 places).
SCYTHING for BEGINNERS (new)
For those who know the technique, scythes are much more pleasant to use than strimmers, especially the Austrian model that you will be using. Come and spend a day learning how it’s done. Leader: David Mason.
Saturday 24 March, £65 inc. all refreshments.
COOKING for HEALTH with JANE SEN
The Cuisine Vivante approach: the mind, body and spirit of food and its preparation. Do you feel uninspired in the kitchen after a long day at work? Are you stuck in a rut with recipe ideas? Do you long to eat foods that you know will help to heal your health problems?
Sunday 25 March, £105 inc. lunch etc.
BRICKLAYING FOR AMATEURS
Learn how to construct your own garden walls, bases for sheds etc. with the help of a professional bricklayer, Mac Knox Weir. Saturday 31 March, £80 inc. lunch.
HEN KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS
This course is designed for those who want to keep a few hens in the garden, and will be a mixture of theory and practice. Leader: Francine Raymond.
Sunday 1 April, £70 inc. lunch.
STAINED GLASS
A great introduction to stained glass of all sorts of colours and textures. Make your own stained glass panel or mirror using traditional techniques. Leader Anna Conti.
Weekend 14/15 April, £165 inc. lunch & materials.
SHEEP FOR SMALLHOLDERS
Everything you need to know to start keeping a few sheep: breeds, methods of enclosure, feed, on-going care, pests and diseases, and how to handle the animals. Leader: Dek Mckinnon. Saturday 21 April, £70 inc. lunch.
WILD MEDICINE
This is an unusual chance to forage and make your own medicines. We offer a very practical workshop where you walk the land, get to know the plants, harvest your own ingredients and make effective home remedies.
Led by Jude Greenan & Vanessa Neville.
Sunday 22 April, £70 inc. lunch.
FLY-FISHING for ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS
Starting equipment, choice of fly, still water and river techniques, species, practical demo of tackle assembly and fly-casting tuition (and you might catch a trout!).
Leader: John Lattimore.
Saturday 28 April, £80 inc. lunch.
HANDS ON THE HIVE
An afternoon meeting the inhabitants of the beehive – only for those who have some previous knowledge.
Leader: Simon Cousins (7 places only).
Sundays pm only: 29 April, 24 June & 22 July, £35.
FOOD FOR FREE
Walk around the farm to learn about the edible roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits of our common plants. Leaders: Nick Miller, Jude Greenan & Neil Catchpole. Sunday 29 April, £60 inc. lunch.
FRUIT TREE PRUNING
One-day course covering the principles of pruning, use of tools, sharpening, plus demonstrations on how to prune new trees, and old neglected ones (apples, pears, plums & cherries). Leader: Chris Heseltine.
Saturday 5 May, £80 inc. lunch.
A DAY WITH BADGERS
Spend an afternoon and an evening studying & watching badgers: how to tell a badger sett from a rabbit hole, tracks, habits & lifecycle. Leader: Bob Cowlin.
Sunday 6 May, £70 inc. high tea (8 places only).
CORACLE MAKING
Make your own coracle, an ancient form of boat, suitable for one or two paddlers, very portable and great fun.
Leader: Alistair Phillips (8 places only).
Sat-Mon 12-14 May, £210 for 2 days inc. lunch, plus mats about £75 (pay on the day), £50 for practice day on Mon.
BEEKEEPING – QUEEN-REARING
For those who want to take their beekeeping further, a two-day course with international expert Clive de Bruyn.
Weekend 19/20 May, £140 inc. lunch.
BREAD-MAKING
A one-day course to help you improve your bread-making skills. John Lawrence will explore three different rising methods and use several flour types, including gluten-free.
Sunday 10 June & Saturday 27 October, £85 inc. lunch.
STORY TELLING - BEGINNERS/INTERMEDIATE
Learn or improve on your storytelling to your class, congregation, children, grandchildren or to friends, with professional storyteller Paul Jackson.
Weekend 23/24 June, £120 inc. lunches.
TORTOISE OWNER/ENTHUSIAST WORKSHOP
A (new) practical workshop on different tortoise types, garden and indoor accommodation, illnesses, weighing, measuring, worming, trimming beaks and nails, hibernation. Leader: Jane Williams (Essex rescue centre).
Sunday 1 July, £70 inc. lunch etc.
PHOTOGRAPHY – NATURE & LANDSCAPE
A weekend with professional photographer Jon Sturdy learning how to capture those special effects, using the beautiful rural landscape here at Assington Mill.
Weekend 7/8 July, £165 inc. lunches.
CLAY OVEN BUILDING
A very practical day learning how to make a clay oven, for bread & pizzas, using local clay. Leader: Jon Dyvig.
Saturday 21 July or Sunday 22 July, £80 inc. lunch.
STRAWBALE BUILDING
Learn how to build using straw bales, under the tuition of Barbara Jones, Britain’s foremost straw bale builder.
Mon-Fri 20-24 August, £300 inc. lunches.
CYDER MAKING – an introduction
Do you have a glut of apples/pears in the autumn? Come and find out what to do with them with professional cyder maker, Simon Reed, of the Rough Old Wife press in Kent.
Saturday 8 Sept or Sunday 9 Sept, £80 inc. lunch.
HUNTING with HARRIS HAWKS (new)
Spend a day on the farmland surrounding the Mill experiencing the thrills of hunting with birds of prey. You will fly a Harris hawk yourself and watch as it hunts from tree to tree looking for rabbits etc. (6 places only).
Leaders: Andrea & Paul Keyland
Saturday 13 October, £130 inc. lunch.
SILVER CLAY JEWELLERY WORKSHOP
Suitable for complete beginners, we aim for a fun and relaxing two days, with plenty of time to experiment and be creative, and you will leave with several pieces of real silver jewellery! Leader: Melanie Blaikie.
Weekend 3/4 November, £185 inc. lunches & silver clay.
Hedgelaying Coracle making
Celtic drawing Stained glass
Herbal medicine Photography
Hands on the hive Storytelling
Furniture conservation Fly fishing
Beekeeping for beginners Spinning
Historic timber-framed houses Ferrets
Garden machinery maintenance Mosaic
Sheep husbandry for smallholders Bread
Loom weaving & fabric design Badgers
Plumbing basics for amateurs Upholstery
Working with birds of prey Clay ovens
Bricklaying for amateurs Food for free
Pig-keeping - introduction Hen-keeping
Woodwork for amateurs Felt-making
Drawing for beginners Sign-writing
Silver clay jewellery Queen-rearing
Coppicing woodland Cyder making
Willow for gardens Curtain-making
Natural skin-care Ballroom dancing
Fruit tree pruning Natural skin -care
Fox control Energy – how to save it
Contact: Anne Holden
T: 01787 229955
M: 07770 550570
E:
info@assingtonmill.com
W:
www.assington