Ben Willis Woodcraft reviews

30 Apr 24'

Conor reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"This course is absolutely fantastic and I can't recommend it highly enough. Ben is not only a brilliant woodworker but also an excellent teacher, he manages to make sure you’re always up to speed without interfering too much or doing the work for you. As a beginner I learned a huge number of valuable techniques and picked up lots of tips, others on the course were more experienced but still gained a lot. In addition to this the workshop is set in a beautiful woodland and Ben also does a fantastic range of soups for lunch. "

3 Oct 23'

Patrick Laurie reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"A fantastic course, and a really excellent way to spend a week. Ben was always on hand with advice and support, and I learned an enormous amount as the days went by. The hard work ultimately paid off and I'm really delighted with the chair I made - I can't recommend this course highly enough."

2 Oct 23'

Paul O reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"I have benefited from Ben’s expert and patient tuition three times now, and our home is dignified by two elegant Welsh stick chairs and one functional Windsor stool as a result. The seven day course on the Welsh borders is simply fantastic….idyllic work environment, very good wood, very good tools and great company…and you end up with furniture far in advance of anything to be found on Tottenham Court Road. Sign up now!!!"

2 Oct 23'

Matthew Bentley reviewed: Make a Windsor-style stool

"Had a brilliant time making the stool. Very cathartic and loved the end result. Looking to book my next course once I convince my wife."

2 Oct 23'

Robin Loveland reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"What a fabulous week. Hidden away in our forest glade in a beautiful corner of very rural Wales, I couldn’t believe that the pile of freshly felled timber could be split , axed, shaved and bent into the beautiful traditional chair that I proudly took home a week later. The company was excellent, a great feeling of camaraderie and mutual support supervised at all time by the highly skilled, knowledgeable and ever patient Ben. The work room under canvas, with the ever present fire burning (there are a lot of off cuts!), learning how to, and then using hand tools, was a wonderful and peaceful, but highly industrious enclave. A great week with a great tutor! (and a lovely chair!!) Highly recommended! "

13 Jun 23'

Brendan Patchell reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"I thoroughly enjoyed this course in making a Welsh Stick Chair. Ben is very good at teaching and assisting to all levels. A week seems like a long time but you need to learn lots of skills, insights and gain experience and confidence. The setting deep in the woods, with the kettle on the fire, was a perfect environment to meet strangers and come away as firm friends. The icing on the cake was taking away a beautiful, hand made, unique Welsh Stick chair."

9 Jun 23'

Richard Rodway reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"Well what can I say, other than my wonderful experience with Ben has left me in awe of his knowledge and calming influence. it has been inspirational in many ways. I have a fantastic journey into the world of green woodworking with a lovely chair and so many new skills that I have been inspired to dive head long into the green woodworking world. I have tweaked my chair already and have made my own saw horse and started on a couple of projects. Couldn't recommend highly enough. Such a lovely group of people to spend a week with in a wonderful woodland. "

8 May 23'

Chris & Mike Freed reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"A genuinely excellent tutor, course and workshop environment. Ben has the patience of a saint, is a lovely bloke and was able to nurture these 2 amateurs into budding chair-makers. Its hard to believe we turned green wood ash logs, with accompanying pre-prepared materials, into 2 welsh stick chairs we are proud of. Its all thanks to the structure and pace of the course, along with the newly learned skills, which kept us on our toes but ensured we both got our chairs completed. Our course-mates were an unexpected bonus - a fine, collaborative group who brought their own skills, good humour and support (including visits from friends, partners, wives and dogs to keep up morale and provide additional snacks). The woods and Welsh weather provided a stunning and calming backdrop that served as a wellbeing tonic, with the week being fuelled by Ben's satisfying lunches. Altogether brilliant! "

4 May 23'

Kaori Tatebayashi reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"It was a wonderful experience spending a week in the woodland filled with bluebells leaning new skills. Making a chair out of green wood using simple hand tools and minimum machineries was a pure pleasure. During the course, I didn't think of anything but forming a chair. I found it meditative and somehow healing. Brilliant teacher and a great group we had. "

2 May 23'

Connie DeWitt reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"This course was amazing. Ben has a natural gift for explaining things in a way that is appropriate for novices while still offering new insights to those more experienced - with fun and humor the whole way. Ben’s teaching style, the support and camaraderie of my classmates, and the gorgeous natural setting made for an unforgettable experience. It was absolutely worth the effort and expense to travel from California, and I can’t wait to get started on building my next chair!"

2 May 23'

Shaun Thomas reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"I enjoyed the course so much last year. I brought my son with me for another go, Ben did not let us down. Great content, deep understanding of Green woodworking and a well structured approach. We both left with more skills, a better understanding of wood and a fantastic welsh stick chair each. Could not recommend it any more highly. "

13 Jan 23'

Gareth Clayton reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"This course was excellent and Ben is a very accomplished, welcoming and patient instructor. The end product is amazing and you genuinely feel like you have had the majority of the input in making it. I learned a lot from the course and looked forward to each day. Highly recommended!"

17 Oct 22'

Tom reviewed: Make a Windsor-style stool

"I had the best time on Ben's stool making course. Ben's very friendly and knowledgeable allowing any novices to learn the skills to leave with a stool to be proud of! The workshop is very well equipped and plenty of time is spent explaining the skills needed both as a group and 1 to 1. Would highly recommend to anyone"

25 Jun 22'

Melvyn Cole reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"What a great experience! As a man that has tools, this course was an eye opener. Not only didn't I have any of the tools needed for this adventure in my own collection, I'd never heard of them either. This mattered not a jot, as Ben had all the tools necessary to hand craft a beautiful Welsh Stick Chair from, well, basically a laying down tree. All I had to do was provide the sweat. I had a great week with an amazing group of people and would certainly do it again. Highly recommended."

9 May 22'

Harald Lamon reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"The perfect setting, a very skilled and enthusiastic teacher, beautiful wood to work with and quality sharp tools. All that made me go home with an amazing chair I 'm really proud of! Thanks again Ben!! Harald from Belgium. (www.lepelhuis.be)"

5 May 22'

John reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"Having done a couple of courses at Ben's workshop in London, I couldn't wait to give this one a go. Redwood Valley is lovely, the workshop is really well equipped and the local town is good for a pizza and a few pints when you're done for the day. Ben is a natural teacher, an expert craftsman and above all a really nice bloke. He has designed the course brilliantly, with a mixture of teamwork (steam bending was great) and individual time on the shave horse. Our group ranged in ability from experienced woodworkers to total beginners and everyone came away with an impressive chair. I'll have fond memories of that week for years to come, not only because I have made a lovely piece of furniture for the home, but spending seven days with a group of lovely people, working and eating together."

2 May 22'

Shaun Thomas reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"After the first day I was apprehensive and told my wife not to expect too much. With no greenwood experience it looked like a tough ask to produce any level of quality. By the end of day three I felt I’d already learned so much and was so much more comfortable with the tools and working the wood. I was learning new things every day - all of them useful. To put a cherry on top we have a great hand made chair that I am truly proud of. Despite the amount of work we had to do and the learning curve the whole experience was relaxing, absorbing and invigorating at the same time. Thank you Ben, I hope to join you again next spring to build on all I’ve learned so far."

1 May 22'

Alex Harris reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"Ben is an excellent teacher and his immense knowledge allows him to answer all questions, help with any problems and teach anyone to construct an incredibly complicated chair! I had a memorable week and though it was hard work, I had an incredible time and I’m proud of my achievements and my lovely chair! I’d recommend this course to anyone, I’ve learnt so much and met loads of nice people and worked in a lovely setting. Somehow it was exhausting and relaxing at the same time."

20 Aug 21'

Barry Bailey reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"For more years than I care to remember, I have wanted to do a course like this, in an environment reminiscent of my childhood many years ago, using the basic tools of our forefathers. Finally, on a whim, having seen Ben's advert, and at the age of 76 yrs, I decided it was now or never, and decided to book this course. I am so glad that I did. The woods in which we were based, in Redwood Valley, were of a maturity rarely encountered these days. The commitment, depth of knowledge, and dedication to his course participants, by Ben, likewise. The other similar-minded people on this course were an absolute pleasure to be with, and will never be forgotten. My one regret - I didn't do this sooner."

15 Aug 21'

Paul Rees reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"I would highly recommend this course. An Ash log was turned into a beautiful Welsh stick chair in seven days. The result for all attending was something to be proud of. I've worked as a Carpenter/ Joiner for over 30 years but learned so many new skills and techniques using ancient hand tools to create a beautiful chair. Ben is an excellent tutor: calm, patient, informative and not a bad cook! The setting is stunning. The open sided workshop is in the middle of ancient woodland with birds singing and the open fire burning. Truly idyllic. Book this course. You wont regret it!"

11 Aug 21'

Steve Cooper reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"I attended Ben Willis’s ‘Welsh Stick Chair making course’ in July 2021. It was superb. The setting in Redwood Valley took you back hundreds of years and close to nature in an open sided wooden structure with an open fire continually burning providing both hot water for the continual coffee and tea ,Ben’s homemade soup for lunch and a gentle drift of smoke to give you the authentic smell of wood smoke! Eight of us were shown a pile of ash logs from which we were expected to produce a work of art. With Ben’s expert tuition over seven long days the results were remarkable with everybody finishing a chair (each slightly different) to be proud of. A big part of the overall enjoyment was getting to know the seven other participants and Ben. All from very different backgrounds but all with a passion for wood. I cannot recommend the experience highly enough with thanks to my wife for it as a birthday present."

11 Aug 21'

Bridget Thompson reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"What a fabulous week we had, all 8 of us finished our chairs under the excellent supervision of Ben. The setting is ideal, in the woods, the sound of birds along with our shaving and hammering. Ben's help when I wasn't quite strong enough was patient and kind, his knowledge and skill amazing. Having never worked with wood before, I learnt so much and every time I look at my wonderful chair I'll remember each shave, knock, hammer, saw stroke, sand and decision I made about how I wanted it to look. I would recommend this course to anyone, who loves the idea of working with wood and a chair that will last 100's of years. Go for it........"

11 Aug 21'

Rhys Phillips reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"Simply the most pleasurable and satisfying way to spend a week. The setting is second to none but it’s Ben’s knowledge, expertise and patience that make all the difference in this course. It is appreciable the effort that goes into organising the course prior to arriving to ensure it’s smooth running meaning everyone goes home with a wonderful and unique chair. Would not hesitate to recommend this course to anyone interested in having a magnificent hand made centrepiece for their room!"

16 Aug 20'

Kevin Hollings reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"A productive and thoroughly enjoyable week in the woods making a Welsh Stick Chair, Ben's expertise and patience ensured that all attendees walked away with a chair to be proud of. The whole experience from the pre-course communication, the woodland location, the way the course is structured was first class, I have no hesitation in recommending Ben and this course."

13 Aug 20'

Stephen Dobbison reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"Thank you, Ben, for the course, your company and your patience in helping me produce a wonderful chair. I had an amazing week learning a new skill and really surprised myself in what I produced. This was entirely down to Ben’s skills and teaching techniques which were well thought out and delivered in a manner even a complete novice like me could understand. My family were speechless when I brought the chair in to show them and still think I bought the chair somewhere! Once again thank you Ben for a fabulous week in the woods."