Manor Wood reviews

Kingsley reviewed: Craft Your Own Longbow: One To One Woodworking Class

"Matt was an amazing expert and source of information. We started the day with a roughly two inch square piece of wood and ended the day with a bow, that was relatively easy to use. All through the day Matt was explaining what we were doing and demonstrating so I could then complete the bow. At 78 inches with a draw of 40lbs at 24 inches we made a yew bow, much more common than the ash equivalent and best suited for my purposes. Matt made sure I knew about the challenges of finding the place and the day went off without a hitch. I have a little experience of using wood tools, but on the day almost every tool was new to me – not a problem with Matt’s support. At times we were both working the bow, which meant I had plenty of time at the end to fire about 27 arrows from it. It is accurate at 10 meters and I enjoyed using a bow I created. With Matt’s experience from years of making bows, and the preparations he made for our day (exposing a single growth ring for my bow on the stave we used) it was a very enjoyable day spent in an ancient woodland."

Manor Wood responded:

"Hi Kingsley, thank you for the review! Very glad you enjoyed the day, it was great having you at Manor Wood. Hope to see you again soon. Matt"

Margaret reviewed: Bushcraft Skills - Sharp Tools and Camp Crafts

"I took my teenage son to the whittling course this morning, he loved it! He was so inspired by the experience and knowledge gained from Matt, he's spent the rest of the day creating items including coat hooks which he has now fixed to the kitchen door, they look great. The setting is very special and peaceful with a magical quality that gives a sense of having stepped into another world, a truly relaxing space filled with beautifully handcrafted structures, tools and practical items which inspire creativity. We are looking forward to another visit soon. Thank you Matt for a memorable morning!"

Manor Wood responded:

"Hi Margaret, thank you for the lovely review. So glad you enjoyed the session, it was lovely to have you at Manor Wood. Matt"

Margaret Wilson reviewed: Whittling Workshop

"Emma and Matt have created a beautiful environment in which to learn wood whittling. Matt took us through the process step by step, carefully and slowly, enabling us to work at our own pace. Skilful teaching and great hospitality. Can’t recommend this highly enough! Will be back with granddaughter for children’s woodland adventure later next month. Can't wait!"

Manor Wood responded:

"Hi Margaret, thank you for the review. We are glad you enjoyed the session and the woodland, hope to see you again soon! Emma"

Kate reviewed: Whittling Workshop

"Such a gorgeous morning! We went with our 12 and 15 year old boys and we all loved it. Very absorbing and gave us all such a feeling of peace and contentment. Emma and Matt were great hosts and very supportive and encouraging- many thanks"

Manor Wood responded:

"Hi Kate, thank you for the lovely review. We are glad you all enjoyed the session, hope to see you again soon! Emma"

Lorna reviewed: Whittling Workshop

"I did the whittling course with Matt and Emma and what an amazing location. So back to basics and such a very enjoyable experience. Was a nice small group of people and plenty of help with the projects we did. The time just flew by. Would definitely recommend someone having a go at whittling and Matt is very knowledgeable and passionate about all things wood. I made 2 mushrooms and very pleased with them. Keen enough that I will be doing more of it. "

Celia Alden reviewed: Whittling Workshop

"This is our second visit which was equally enjoyable as our first visit, we brought along our grandson who had very ambitious ideas on what he wanted to make. Matt skilfully guided him through the various processes whilst allowing my grandson to do his own project independently. Brilliant. "

Sophie reviewed: Introduction to Green Woodworking

"My family and I had such a fantastic day on the Introductory to Green Woodworking course with Matt and Emma. They were both incredibly welcoming and the different tools, tasks and techniques were all excellently explained and demonstrated. Matt was always on hand to offer advice and provide extensive knowledge both about the course subjects and the surrounding woodland area. Matt was also incredibly patient and we are very grateful for the extra time he took to support our son with some of the trickier tasks - he is incredibly proud of the work he was able to achieve during the day. The outdoor workshop itself is a thing of rustic beauty and the upmost effort is made to ensure you are comfortable throughout the day (their endless supply of tea was very much appreciated!) We would definitely recommend this course to anyone who thinks they might have an interest in green wood working … and we can’t wait to return and book onto another one of the courses! Thanks again for such a fab day! "

Manor Wood responded:

"Hi Sophie, it was so lovely to meet you all! We're so glad you enjoyed the day and hope to see you again soon. Emma"

Naomi reviewed: Introduction to Bushcraft

"Had a fantastic day, learnt so much and felt very welcome. The woodland setting was beautiful and peaceful and the carefully thought out facilities added to the enjoyable experience. The pace was perfect, I felt like I had enough time with each activity and I was interested throughout the day. All in all an inspiring, mindful and valuable experience."

Manor Wood responded:

"Hi Naomi, thanks for the great review. It was a very enjoyable day, hope to see you at Manor Wood again soon! Matt"

Sophie Davis reviewed: Forest School CPD - Rope Skills

"Another super course, Matt provided a really fun day for us. The rope skills were taught in a way that meant we continued to build on our skills throughout the session, finishing off with a rope bridge and a zip line."

Manor Wood responded:

"Hi Sophie, thanks for another lovely review, glad you enjoyed the course! Matt"

Jo Wilson reviewed: Bushcraft Skills - Sharp Tools and Camp Crafts

"A really great and instructive day. Learning and making in beautiful surroundings. Thanks Matt"

Manor Wood responded:

"Thanks for the lovely review Jo! Matt"

Louise & Rory reviewed: Whittling Workshop

"Excellent teaching level for all types. My son absolutely loved it. Matt showed him how to make a bow in about 5 mins!! We will be back."

Manor Wood responded:

"Thank you for the lovely review. Glad you enjoyed the day and hope to have you back soon! Matt"

Steve reviewed: Introduction to Green Woodworking

"I really enjoyed the day in the woods doing this course. Matt was an enthusiastic and patient teacher. I would highly recommend this course."

Manor Wood responded:

"Hi Steve, thank you for the great review. Glad you enjoyed the green woodworking and hope to have you back soon. Matt"

Mr H reviewed: Introduction to Green Woodworking

"Highly recommended. Matt and Emma were very welcoming from the start with a warm cuppa and introductions. Matt is clearly knowledgeable about woodland conservation and experienced in teaching wood crafts. The course was run in their own woodland, Matt ran the course at a pace that suited all and my 15 year old lad thoroughly enjoyed the day. We left having learnt new skills, whilst making / creating a wooden mallet and spatula. He has already asked about attending the long bow course. Would highly recommend Matt and Emma’s courses to anyone. Lovely, friendly, engaging and attentive people. Thank you so much for the wonderful experience and peaceful surroundings."

Manor Wood responded:

"Thank you for the lovely review! Glad you both enjoyed the day and hope to have you back soon! Emma"

Adam reviewed: Introduction to Green Woodworking

"Went on this course with my dad. I have a lot of experience in woodworking and while the course is geared towards people with less experience in woodworking, we both enjoyed the course. A great day spent in a lovely location with a friendly teacher. Recommended."

Manor Wood responded:

"Hi Adam, thanks for the review. Glad you both enjoyed the day, would be great to have you back at Manor Wood! Matt"

Debbie reviewed: Craft Your Own Carving Bench or Chopping Block

"My husband and I spent an amazing day doing woodwork with Matt. We are absolute beginners and Matt explained all the tools and basics to us. We came away with great work benches and the confidence to continue practicing at home. "

Manor Wood responded:

"Hi Debbie, thanks for the lovely review! Glad you enjoyed the day, hope to have you at Manor Wood again soon. Matt"

Darren Male reviewed: Craft Your Own Longbow: One To One Woodworking Class

"A great day with a great instructor in a beautiful woodland. Far more to making a longbow than I thought, with the resulting bow great to fire. Thanks Matt & Emma, hope to see you again on a future course."

Manor Wood responded:

"Hi Darren, thanks for the great review! It was lovely to have you at Manor Wood again, hope to see you soon. Emma"

Celia Alden reviewed: Whittling Workshop

"Brilliant. We throughly enjoyed our experience with Matt and our 10 year grandson was extremely proud of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ sword he whittled. "

Manor Wood responded:

"Hi Celia, thank you for the lovely review! Glad you enjoyed the session, hope to see you at Manor Wood again soon. Matt"

Steve & Reece reviewed: Whittling Workshop

"Excellent course, a delayed Christmas present from my son. Great setting in the woods, good instruction throughout, all relaxed and friendly, would recommend. "

Manor Wood responded:

"Hi Steve, thank you for the lovely review! Hope to see you at Manor Wood again soon. Matt"

Erin, Philie, Sara + Jemma reviewed: Forest School CPD - Rope Skills

"This was a fantastic learning experience and both Emma and Matt were so friendly and welcoming. We learnt a lot of new skills to help us in our practice and really enjoyed that we could ask questions on areas specific to our forest school needs. A very relaxing day in a beautiful woodland. Thank you "

Clare reviewed: Forest School CPD - Rope Skills

"I had a great day and learnt many new knots and about different ropes and the best ones to use.. the woods where it was held was amazing… great instruction with a chance to try and practice. It was great as we were also asked if there was anything specific we wanted to learn and we were shown for our own setting.. I really enjoyed learning how to set up a zip line and how this can be adapted .. I will definitely be booking on another course run here.."

Emma reviewed: Forest School CPD - Rope Skills

"Great informative course in a relaxing environment. Learnt new knots and applications for them in a beautiful setting."

Manor Wood responded:

"Hi Emma, thank you for your lovely review. I am glad you enjoyed the day, it was great to have you at Manor Wood! Matt"

Tim reviewed: Craft Your Own Longbow: One To One Woodworking Class

"I did the long bow making course in March, as I've always been interested in wood working and wanted something to get my teeth into. Though I've done a bit of archery before, I don't do it often, so for me this was more about understanding the technique and giving something new a go. The day was exceptional, Matt was a great teacher and supportive throughout, helping me to fix my mistakes and give great hints and tips. At the end, we had time to fire a few arrows, which was great fun and proved I'd made something that worked! I'd thoroughly recommend to anyone looking to try something a little bit different. "

Clair Meager reviewed: Bushcraft Skills - Wet Weather Fires and Tarp Shelters

"Wonderful course - friendly, informative and relaxed. Beautiful environment. I would recommend this course to anyone who needs a refresher or wants to learn some great tips. Thank you Emma and Matt "

Zoë Rebecca reviewed: Whittling Workshop

"My husband and I came along to the wood whittling course and loved it. Taking place in the woodland, there was a calm and relaxing atmosphere and spaces on each course are limited to ensure intimacy which reflects this. This also enabled Matt and Emma to be able to attend to the group and help us when needed. You could make something from the examples on the table or bring your own idea which they were open to support with. We came to the course as complete novices and left having ordered our own whittling knives and gloves to try at home, thank you so much! "

Darren Male reviewed: Introduction to Green Woodworking

"Matt is an experienced, knowledgeable, and friendly instructor, with the course been run in his beautiful woodland. I made a greenwood mallet, spatula, and tea spoon, and learnt about the tools, materials, and safety. Will be booking on his future courses on other subjects."