Coppice Club: Crafting Community in the Woods

On Jan 10 we held our second ever Coppice Club session at Sawpit Woods, and what a joy it was to gather together in the warmth and dry of the woodland after such a cold week.

Before folk arrived, we lit the fire and got the all-important kettle on—because everything begins better with tea. As people joined us, we set to work gathering hazel rods. The children helped harvest them, and together we sawed lengths so everyone could try their hand at whittling around the fire, developing their penknife skills with the warmth and support of the flames.

Alongside this, we’d previously harvested some chestnut poles, and using the draw horse and draw knife we set about making stakes; We cut chestnut lengths and combined them with more hazel to create sturdy posts, which we then malleted into the ground. The kids made a bridge across the ditch and helped gather the newly crafted stakes as we worked. Together, we built a dead hedge using old silver birch we’d harvested earlier last year.

All the children got stuck in—using the drawknife, working the saws, making stakes, building the hedge. We particularly enjoyed learning about the conservation importance of dead hedging whilst developing their skills with the tools and getting properly involved in the work. The day was closed with sharing our gratitudes with a cuppa and some

delicious fire warmed Galette de Rois from Marie.

These sessions are multi-generational. Whilst children are so welcome, Coppice Club isn’t primarily aimed at them. It’s about everyone—young and old—experiencing being in the woods together and developing connection with this place over time. The adults especially valued spending a few hours in community with each other, being busy doing work that’s genuinely ‘For the Good of the Woods’.

It was a really lovely day to spend together, and we are looking forward to building this rhythm of gathering throughout the year. Come along next time when we plan to make mallets, continue work to tend the woods, enjoy campfire cooking and more woodland skills.

Please be in touch if you’d like to find out more.

Join us next time:

Our next Coppice Club is on Sunday 28th February, 1-3pm at Sawpit Woods. Booking is essential so we know who’s coming—check out our events page age to reserve your spot.

We ask for a donation of £5-10 per family, which we invest straight back into tools and resources to make these sessions as brilliant as they can be.

Come and be part of growing and crafting something amazing —for the good of the woods.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​