Wattle Hurdle Training Course

Enjoy the experience of learning a heritage skill (or two)! Learn the art of Coppicing and making traditional Wattle Hurdles within a woodland coppice, nestled within the Surrey Hills, an area of outstanding natural beauty.

This two-day training course is delivered by Paul Matthews a Hedgelaying and Hurdle making professional.

Paul is highly skilled at ‘hurdle making’, this is an age-old practice of weaving cleft hazel rods through upright hazel rods. Hurdles are used as a rustic, practical and attractive alternative to modern-day fencing panels. These skills can also be used to make rustic arches.

During the training course, you will have the opportunity to make a panel or screen woven from Hazel. You can expect your finished hurdle to be 6ft in length and up to 4ft in height, therefore, you will need to ensure you have sufficient room on or in your car so you can take your finished work home!

Cost

Full-day: £230.00 per person

Time

2 Days: 9:00am – 04:00pm

What will I learn?

Coppicing & cleaving

Following an introduction to the course, you will spend the day learning how to coppice the hazel rods used to make the hurdles from the neighbouring woodlands and prepare them ready for use. You will learn how to use a billhook (traditional hand tool) to learn the skill of cleaving (splitting the wood).

Hurdle making

You will set up your mould ready for use and then using the Hazel rods you have cleaved earlier you will learn how to begin the unusual technique of weaving up the bottom of the hurdle. Paul will then continue to provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to build up and finish off your weave to create your Wattle Hurdle panel. After care guidance will also be provided.

Groups

This course is for small groups only to ensure we can facilitate a professional and safe level of training, We have a 7 (trainee) to 1 (instructor) ratio. Please contact the organiser directly to discuss and arrange dates to suit.

Bespoke

Bespoke training courses are available. The trainer may be willing to travel to undertake the course elsewhere e.g. on your own land. Training is not necessarily restricted to weekends, please inform the organiser of the dates you would like to be considered.

Upcoming Workshops

Norbury Park, Fetcham

… In Paul we had an extremely friendly, informative, hands-on teacher. We were taken step by step through the whole process, from choosing our own hazel rods for the frame and weave, through preparing them for their different purposes, building the frame and finally weaving the split rods … A real mind-clearing exercise. Thank you Lorraine and Paul for a thoroughly well organised, enjoyable and fulfilling course. And a wonderful hurdle to take home at the end.

A fabulous outdoor weekend learning new skills and an ancient craft. All in all a very rewarding challenge and I was so pleased to go home with my own wattle hurdle to treasure in the garden.

I enjoyed a great two day course at Hedges and Hurdles. Expert tuition from Paul who practices the craft at the highest level and who cleary cares about passing on his knowledge. Lorraine made us all very welcome and kept the group supplied with hot food and drinks to sustain us through the weekend. Having done this course I feel equipped to have a go myself.

Wattle Hurdle Training Course

Cost