Ben Willis Woodcraft reviews

4 Aug 20'

Kevin Fisher reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"Just back from a week of making a Welsh Stick chair with Ben and three great fellow chairmaking novices. Ben was a great teacher. His humour and patience made the week really enjoyable. Having the opportunity to spend a week in the woods to make a green wood chair was a wonderful life affirming experience. I have come away with a chair that I am both proud of and one which I hope will be the first of many."

20 Feb 20'

Rhys reviewed: Make a live-edge bench or table

"Ben really encourages participants to get an authentic green woodworking experience regardless of their skills - I had none when I started- so that everyone can produce something to be proud of. I will do more courses with Ben!"

21 Jan 20'

Shyam reviewed: Make a Windsor-style stool

"I had a great time. Ben gives clear and interesting descriptions and demonstrations and helps you just the right amount. It’s good fun trying out all the different tools. Time flies! I love my new stool, too."

20 Jan 20'

Steve H reviewed: Make a Windsor-style stool

"I really enjoyed this course - learnt loads and got a great little stool at the end of it. Ben really knows his stuff and communicates it very well; friendly, patient and just an all round good guy. His workshop is well set up too. I will hopefully be doing more with him soon. Thoroughly recommended."

20 Jan 20'

John reviewed: Make a Windsor-style stool

"Incredible fun and rewarding weekend. Ben is a fantastic teacher - extremely knowledgeable, patient and attentive. Not to mention a really nice bloke. Learned an awful lot and took home something I am proud to say I made. I'll certainly be returning to take another course soon. Cheers Ben!"

3 Nov 19'

Nicola reviewed: Make a live-edge bench or table

"Really enjoyed and looked forward to our evening sessions. Ben took us through the process step by step and managed the class well allowing us to progress at our our pace but all finishing with a lovely piece of furniture for our homes. Would like to do another course with Ben in the future. The course was more physical than I was expecting but definitely beats a session in the gym!"

29 Sep 19'

Christopher Hadley reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"Absolutely wonderful course. This is the third course I have done with Ben, having done his stool and chair courses in London. Taking a week out of the city to work intensively on a chair was, however, a totally different experience. The location of the workshop is beautiful, and it really feels like you are away from everything. The workshop offers protection from the inevitable Welsh rain from time to time, while being mostly exposed, allowing you to enjoy the woodland flowers while working! The course is well structured, and the workshop has plenty of good quality tools for everyone to crack on in parallel. Ben is a great tutor - he has a lot of patience and always manages to rescue novice errors! He is a thoroughly nice chap too, and our group got on really well. I did this back in May/June of this year but have only just got around to writing this review. Looking back, this was one of the most fun, peaceful and rewarding weeks of recent years. I'm absolutely delighted with my chair, which will look great in my new flat. I hope to be back one day!"

6 Sep 19'

Campbell reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"I cannot recommend both this course and Ben highly enough. Somehow Ben managed to make the week relaxing, informative, great fun and educational all at once. The venue is spectacular, set in the beautiful Redwood Valley woodland, and Ben could not be a better teacher - patient, phenomenally knowledgeable, good humoured and a decent chef too! I came back home after the week refreshed, more confident in my woodworking, and with a beautiful Welsh stick chair to cherish for many years. Thanks a million, Ben!"

16 Jul 19'

AL White reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"What a week. Seven days spent with six great people from all walks of life, under the incredible guidance and instruction of Ben. What a Star. What he doesn`t know about woodcraft and special tools is beyond belief, and he shared and explained his skills with us. Had a whale of a time, ate lots of cake, drank lots of tea and now own a wonderful Welsh Stick Chair that i have always wanted, But instead of buying one, i actually made it. Hopefully it can now be an heirloom to pass on to my new grandson. Also, what a magical setting in Redwood Valley. Breathtaking scenery and very friendly hosts. I have to say its been one of the best and most rewarding weeks of my life. Thank you Ben. {your dads sour dough bread was awesome}"

20 Jun 19'

Ruari reviewed: Make a live-edge bench or table

"A great course for all experience of wood work. Ben is a great teacher and gives you the confidence to give everything a go unsupervised. You will surprise yourself with the end product achieved in a relatively small amount of time. Fantastic way to spend a weeknight!"

19 Jun 19'

Dan Bailey reviewed: Make a live-edge bench or table

"I honestly cannot recommend this course highly enough. Even if you haven’t an interest in woodwork / green woodworking, you are basically dead inside if you don’t find this course engaging, fun, challenging and absorbing. Ben is a natural tutor and he sets an excellent pace - which is no easy feat when leading a disparate class. His course draws you in and it is the perfect way to empty your mind of the detritus of the working day. As you might expect there is ‘instruction’ at times - which is absolutely necessary, but Ben is never patronising (even when novices like me ask really obvious / stupid questions) - and he never holds back on giving gentle guidance after you’ve forgotten what he just taught you. Ben encourages you to make the piece your own, clearly explaining the available parameters, and he shares his experience in abundance, punctuated with titbits of interesting and relevant knowledge. All of this is delivered with good humour and in a relaxed atmosphere. You won’t regret doing this course.…and the results are pretty spectacular - people will want to buy what you made!"

19 Jun 19'

Tom Young reviewed: Make a Windsor chair

"I’ve been looking at doing a furniture making course for a number of years, and I’m really happy I undertook it with Ben. He’s really helpful from the outset, and a very good teacher who allows you the space to learn yet always being on hand if you need a little extra guidance. I’ve taken home an incredible chair, which I will enjoy for many years to come. I’d definitely recommend the course to anyone, and I can’t wait to sign up to another."

19 Jun 19'

Callum Patterson reviewed: Make a live-edge bench or table

"A truly great course! Ben has designed a great course with the perfect mix of expert guidance and independance. The end product is so very satisfying because you'll know you did every step of the project. In a world where 5 stars is the norm for these sort of things I wish there was a 10 star option for Ben's course."

19 Jun 19'

Daniel reviewed: Make a live-edge bench or table

"Such a great course with expert advice, tuition and expertise from Ben. We all produced wonderful benches and coffee tables...so satisfying. I’m looking forward to continuing in the very near future."

12 Jun 19'

Helen Brent-Smith reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"I had a great week on this course, and can thoroughly recommend it to anyone interested in working with wood. The workshop is lovely, equipped with all we needed, and the woods are a stunning setting. Ben is an excellent tutor - the course is well planned and structured and though it's a lot to fit into a week Ben ensured that we all did it and we were really pleased with our chairs. Ben was good at teaching all the many new skills involved, he was calm and patient and very encouraging and was skilled at keeping an eye on everyone and knowing when help was needed. Can't recommend it enough!"

6 Jun 19'

Sarah Phillips reviewed: Make a Welsh stick chair

"This is a great course, making a really nice chair, and I would highly recommend it. It's well structured and Ben is an excellent tutor, clear and patient. The outdoor workshop is in a beautiful piece of woodland and is a lovely place to spend the week. Sign up for the next course as soon as you can!"

29 May 19'

Chris Fox reviewed: Make a Windsor chair

"Such a great course. I learned so much and Ben’s laid back approach makes it a really enjoyable experience. I can’t wait for the next course!"

27 May 19'

Michael reviewed: Make a Windsor chair

"Had a great time making my beautiful new chair. Ben is an excellent tutor and his passion for green woodworking shines through. Would definitely recommend. Michael"

1 Apr 19'

Ben reviewed: Make a Windsor chair

"Just do it. I've now done a couple of courses with Ben and they've been ace. You learn so much over the 10 weeks, and Ben gives you the prefect balance of guidance and trust to try things out. After hectic days at work - doing woodwork is almost like going to therapy, it completely clears your head. I love it. I'll be signing up for more courses. Best investment I've made in a long time!"

31 Mar 19'

Campbell Naylor reviewed: Make a live-edge bench or table

"A thoroughly enjoyable course, delivered brilliantly by Ben. Ben created a comfortable and relaxed environment, whilst imparting his excellent knowledge of green woodwork and we all learned a great deal in a relatively small amount of time. Highly recommended!"

29 Mar 19'

Rob reviewed: Make a Windsor chair

"This is by far the best course I've been on. All aspects of the experience are excellent, and the end result is certainly something to be very proud of. Ben is great at letting the sessions flow, but is always on-hand if assistance is required. It's no wonder Ben gets repeat customers, I'll certainly be one too!"

29 Mar 19'

Juliet reviewed: Make a Windsor chair

"I’ve recently completed Ben’s Windsor Chair course and I can thoroughly recommend it. I was a complete novice, but with Ben’s patience and step by step guidance I’ve finished the course with a beautiful chair... and I can't wait to make another! Ben explains everything clearly and offers useful tips, but then he also gives you the space to figure it out for yourself. He’s always on hand for any questions or practical help too. Thank you, Ben!"

27 Mar 19'

Holly reviewed: Make a live-edge bench or table

"Fantastic way to spend a weekday evening. Ben is a great teacher, providing step by step instructions tailored to the type of bench each person wants to make. I’m very happy with my bench!"

20 Mar 19'

Jim Sikorski reviewed: Make a live-edge bench or table

"Excellent teaching in a relaxed and friendly environment."

3 Mar 19'

Michael Whiteside reviewed: Make a Windsor-style stool

"This course is one of the most brilliant and enjoyable I have done. My wife, Liz, bought me the course for Christmas as she had enjoyed it so much- and that says it all: I have worked with wood before, but learnt many new-to-me traditional skills working from the 'green' chunk of tree we started with. Liz on the other hand, had never so much as cut a piece of wood before, and yet we both have a lovely chair that Ben taught us to craft. Ben is a very skilled communicator, teacher and craftsperson, who guides you through the traditional process and tools to make your own gorgeous chair or table from - well- a chunk of tree. My group of 6 was a mix of men and women from of novice to experienced; we all enjoyed the course and came out with good looking chairs that we can be proud of, thanks to Ben's teaching. I highly recommend Ben's course, especially if you want some time out from the busy world, immersed in a focused, creative and rewarding process. Michael, Feb 2019"