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Description
Stagshaw House in Corbridge, Northumberland, is a Grade II historic house with extensive gardens and views across the Tyne Valley. The 3 acre garden and adjoining woodland has a mix of formal terraced gardens, rose collection, victorian kitchen garden, daffodil meadow and wild garden.
This Workshop is suitable for anyone wanting to learn the skill of scything, with step by step instruction and coaching from experts on how to use this traditional tool. The day will include a brief introduction to the history of scything, along with background on how the skill of scything can most effectively be used. There will be tutorial on the techniques used and tips on safety and maintenance of tools too. The day will then be focused on gaining practical experience of using scything techniques in a meadow setting.
Be aware, this day will primarily be focused on practical outdoor work, with some limited theory and tutorial at the start of the day.
Your Tutor for the day, Will Sutherland, grew up in Northumberland and learned to scythe as a teenager – a common rural skill in the days before the strimmer. Will was taught scything by the greenkeeper at Dunstanburgh golf course. Will bought his traditional A-frame scythe in Rothbury and has been using it extensively every year since then (65 years). After retiring from a busy career (senior civil servant) in 1993, Will joined forces with John Seymour to teach self-sufficiency in Ireland. Scything workshops were and are a regular part of the self-sufficiency courses. Together they wrote the Complete Book of Self Sufficiency – the original ‘bible’ of the self-sufficiency movement. Will has written several other books and continues to grow most of his own vegetables, and runs self-sufficiency courses at the walled garden in Christon Bank. www.self-sufficiency.net
Timings:
10am – 3pm
Refreshments:
Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided. Please bring a packed lunch.
Equipment:
Scythes will be provided on the day.
Cost:
Members: £40 | Non-members £60
Please read our Terms & Conditions for important information relating to our Standard Cancellation Policy.
Photographs courtesy and copyright of Stagshaw House.
