Fire, water, food & shelter can, in no particular order, be said to provide the essentials of life. Obtaining these things in the wild can be seen as the basics of what we do. Ensuring their provision; planning for the future; adding comfort, culture and finesse through the skill of our hands and the ingenuity of our minds takes us beyond the basics and deeper into our own cultural history.
During a magical and demanding week, you will kindle fire from sparks generated from iron pyrites, work flint and use modern and ancient materials to construct shelters which provide both a home and a means of preserving food. You will learn to make the most of large game and put to use the meat, hide, bone and connective tissues. You will fashion tools for both hunting and fishing which have been used from the Stone Age to the 18th century and, by the warmth of your campfire, you will temper these experiences with a practical journey into the cultural lives of our ancestors. At the end of the week, you will have made objects both practical and beautiful that you will be able to use and enjoy for years to come. More importantly, you will have developed your skills, broadened your knowledge and deepened your understanding of the natural world through the eyes and ways of our predecessors.
2018 is the 35th anniversary of Woodlore, and to celebrate this milestone we are delighted to offer this brand new course, based on an old classic, which will be led by Ray Mears. Ray has researched, written books and presented television programmes covering the skills of our ancestors and now you have a chance to learn from him using the techniques that he has spent decades learning and practising.
Skills List:
- Fire lighting with flint & iron pyrites
- Making lavvu shelters
- Making and using bone tools
- Flint knapping
- Preparing hides
- Tanning leather
- Butchering large game
- Using rawhide and sinew
- Making hunting & fishing equipment
This course starts at 17:30 on Sunday and will finish at 16:00 on Saturday.
Catering
This course is self-catering, so please bring enough food for the duration of the course and a stove to cook it on. Many clients have found in the past, bringing a cool box is useful to keep all of your food inside.
We provide a kettle, tea, coffee, squash and biscuits in a brew box at the main camp fire of the course, under a large parachute. We also have fresh drinking water and a fruit bowl available.
Course Site
The Ancestral Skills with Ray Mears course will take place at an expedition style camp in East Sussex. The camp is situated in beautiful private woodland with lots of wildlife including deer, owls, badgers, fox and butterflies. We do not have shower/toilet blocks at our sites, therefore all aspects of the course will have a fantastic wilderness feel, using a screened camp shower and a screened latrine in the woods.
We have a car park at the course site where you your car will be kept during the course (if you bring one).
Other Details
Joining instructions will be sent to participants of the course 9 weeks before it is due to start, giving details of where to meet, at what time, and what to
bring with you.
