Exploring country crafts in the Shropshire Hills

Acton Scott Historic Working Farm encapsulates and reflects the best of working traditions in the area – little wonder then that this is such a great place to come to get the lowdown on old country crafts and to learn how to apply them in the 21^st century.

The extraordinary variety of country craft courses ranges from jam-making to ploughing with heavy horses.

As most courses last only a day, you can easily slot a course into weekend or longer holiday. A few more specialist courses, such as blacksmithing, are a bit longer.

Courses planned include bee-keeping, baking bread, churning your own butter, building a cob oven, jams and preserves, yarn-spinning, pig-keeping, knife-sharpening, chair-making, gate-making, smithying, orchard restoration, pickling, ploughing, poultry keeping, basketry, wheelwrighting – and many more!

Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre, at Craven Arms, also hosts courses on a countryside theme, on subjects from foraging to hedge-laying, as well as practical courses on skills, such as operating a chain saw. Watch the website or register to find out about planned courses.

Westhope College includes traditional country crafts in its learning portfolio, including a variety of different one-day courses in basketry, working with materials including bullrush and willow.  Techniques include weaving rush baskets, training living willow for gardens, making coil pots and mould work.

Westhope have a vast range of courses of varying lengths – from Leatherwork, Embroidery, Patchworking, Quilting, Soft Furnishings, Enamelling, Glasswork, Printmaking, Photography…. and more added through the year.