Bushcraft Courses

Course Overviews

It is our firm belief that Wilderness Bushcraft has something of value to give to everyone. Hopefully this is reflected in our programme of bushcraft courses and educational Wilderness Bushcraft Survival courses that have evolved over the twenty five years we have been operating.

At Woodlore, bushcraft course development is a never-ending process as we endeavour to bring the subject to a wider range of students. The skills and knowledge gained through Ray Mears bushcraft is extended and enhanced by tapping into the wilderness survival skills developed by many indigenous peoples and other experts in the bushcraft survival course field, including Lars Fält, Brian Desmond and many others.

Please click a course type for a list of courses in that category:

2-day Our short bushcraft courses have been designed for people whose time is limited, those seeking more specialist training, or the novice who wants a taste of the possibilities that Woodlore offers. We invite you to join our campfire, taste some backcountry cooking and experience living outdoors on the Introduction to Bushcraft course. In a friendly and hard working atmosphere our instructors will lead you through the bushcraft arts of shelter construction, fire-making and plant lore as well as opening your eyes to some of the other secrets that nature holds. Any trip into the outdoors requires us to be able to find our way. The UK Woodland Navigation course provides a robust introduction to navigation in the UK and will give you a good grounding in this essential but often neglected skill, helping to free you in your enjoyment of the UK's wild places. Ancient skills and knowledge do not become obsolete with the passage of time. Often we find that the solutions of our ancestors outstrip their modern equivalents. On the Woodlore Flint Knapping course, Will Lord will lead you on a fantastic journey through time learning about stone tools from the early Bronze age. Fire is the essential element which underpins the vast array of possibilities for life in the outdoors and the art of successful fire making is one that should never be beyond your grasp. Providing yourself with a firm foundation of options by attending our Fire Lighting Techniques course will ensure that you enjoy the warmth and welcoming light of the hearth wherever you rest. Students attending these short bushcraft courses will come away with the satisfaction of new skills learned and practiced and often surprise themselves with their own achievements! They are an excellent way to experience the complimentary skills of bushcraft as taught by Woodlore.

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Expeditions For those that like something a little more challenging, we offer expeditionary bushcraft courses taking you to wild places and the true wilderness in the Arctic or canoeing in the Ardeche. Arctic Survival courses are lead by Lars Falt, Sweden's foremost expert in bushcraft and an old friend of Ray Mears Bushcraft. Brian Desmond oversees our courses in Norway, which are taught by Glyn Sheppard. These include The Heroes of Telemark Expedition, Nordic Skiing and Nordic Intermediate Ski Touring. The Heroes of Telemark expedition retraces Ray Mears' TV series about the bravery of a small group of Norwegian saboteurs during WWII. For those wanting to improve their skiing why not try the Nordic Skiing course? For those who already have proficient skiing skills why not try the Nordic Intermediate Ski Touring? Canoeing in the Ardeche is based at the Pont d'Arc campsite in the South of France. You'll get a robust introduction on how to expedition using the canoe, becoming an efficient and self-contained tandem canoeist.

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Family Modern life, we are often told, conspires to pull the family apart. Our family courses offer you the chance to be a real family unit. Just as much fun as camping but with the added bonus of discovering nature and experiencing bushcraft together in a stimulating and safe environment. Making the campfire, shelter building, tree and plant recognition, bushcraft survival, campfire games and stories are just some of the highlights on the Family Bushcraft course. On the Family Wildlife Walkabout course you will learn about great british wildlife, their eco systems and habitats, predators and prey, and you will have the chance to go out for yourselves tracking wildlife. Both of these courses are conducted from an expedition style camp in East Sussex and are self-catering courses, so you should bring enough food for the duration and a stove to cook it on.

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First Aid Courses Our First Aid courses have been developed in partnership with Fusion Medical Limited and are designed to instil life saving techniques by using scenario based learning. Fusion Medical Limited was formed by Emergency Ambulance Personnel with vast experience in pre-hospital emergency medicine. With expertise, and a proven track record in the teaching of First Aid and emergency medicine to the NHS, private healthcare and corporate business, they offer the best First Aid training in the industry. The series of Wilderness Emergency Medic courses consists of the 2-day Wilderness Emergency Medic Level 1, which gives you an Emergency First Aid At Work (EFAW)qualification, the week long Wilderness Emergency Level 2, which gives you an HSE First aid at Work qualification and the for those who have completed the WEM 2 course, the advanced week long Wilderness Emergency Medic Level 3 course. All of these exciting courses have all been approved by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, and on successful completion of each course you will receive a certificate.

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Junior These bushcraft survival courses are aimed at adventurous youngsters not yet old enough to attend an adult course. Junior Fundamental courses for the 11-16 age group expose budding young Bushcrafters to the wonders of nature for a week without a parent or playstation in sight. Junior Expedition Skills courses designed for 14-17 year-olds take those skills and knowledge further, giving them the tools to be competent and confident in the great outdoors. The number of students on any junior bushcraft course will not exceed 16 and there is a high student: staff ratio of at least 4:1.

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Special Taking a walk in the woods with Ray can be like walking with an encyclopaedia! These are very exclusive events which Ray is only able to conduct when his filming schedule allows.

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Week Our week-long Bushcraft survival courses are for those who want comprehensive instruction in the cornerstones of wilderness Bushcraft. Each is demanding and rewarding in its own way and will leave you with a higher understanding of the world through which you travel. Wilderness Bushcraft goes far beyond survival. Woodlore will open your eyes to a world of possibilities and challenge you not only to forage for food, fire, water and shelter but also to look inward to find the resources that you need. From the essential skills needed to survive and thrive in the wild, to the enlightening and specialist skills of tracking, that will empower you to recognise, interpret and follow the subtle signatures of the wildlife that shares our woodland. Ray Mears' Woodlore will guide you in experiencing the world in a liberating and enlightening way. Extremely rewarding on a personal level and comprehensive in their breadth and depth, these Ray Mears Bushcraft courses are conducted entirely in the outdoors from a friendly base camp. They are, however, sometimes tough and challenging. No whingers please!