Walderchain Wood reviews

Luke Johnston-Smith reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"The day was fantastic and the team were brilliant. I have not only gone out and bought my own axe and bits but have treated my brothers to the same fun. Wonderfully relaxing and a great environment. Thanks to all the team."

Walderchain Wood responded:

"Luke Thank you for your review, glad you enjoyed the day and have caught the bug... Looking forward to seeing the fruits of your labours... ATB Mark, Cristina and Jill"

Aileen Rowe reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"I purchased this as a gift for myself, and could not have made a better choice. The venue is is beautiful and very relaxing. Mark and Jill are very friendly, welcoming and generous with their instruction and advice. The whole day was one to remember. I have learnt a set of new skills, and have the confidence now to continue independently. I highly recommend this course."

Walderchain Wood responded:

"Aileen, Thank you for taking the time to review the class. We're glad you got so much out of the day. Looking forward to seeing your next spoons. Have fun. ATB Mark, Cristina and Jill"

Ben Glazebrook reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"An absolutely brilliant day! My wife bought me this as a birthday gift and it was without doubt my favourite present in 34 years. The location is naturally really beautiful, and what Mark has done there serves to accentuate the surrounding environment. We spent the whole day learning around a campfire, under the canopy of a parachute that is nestled within a woodblock - I felt completely detached (in a good way) and de-stressed shortly after arriving. You couldn't ask for better instruction. Both Mark and Jill are incredibly talented, very personable and great teachers. The whole day was well paced, low pressure, fun and enjoyable, while still being highly productive. The training on the day, the advice given and the follow up information also set you in a great place to carry on spoon carving on your own. I must also mention lunch - a lovely home cooked meal, enjoyed around the table in Mark's home. Absolutely delicious and great of them to cater for me as a vegan. I can't rate this course highly enough! Ben"

Walderchain Wood responded:

"Ben, Thank you for such a nice review. It was a great day spent with lovely people, so glad you enjoyed the day. ATB Mark, Cristina and Jill"

Fiona reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"I bought this as a present for my husband, Kevin. We both had a great time. The location makes for a special setting to learn wood carving. Mark was very good and very generous with his knowledge. He was patient throughout and ensured everyone had something resembling a spoon at the end of the day. There was something very restful about working in the woods and all you could hear was the tools tapping on wood. With the smell of wood smoke coming from the fire pit (on which your elevenses was brewed) just added to the whole atmosphere. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in learning how to wood carve."

Walderchain Wood responded:

"Fiona, Thank you for your review. We're glad you both enjoyed your day here and that Kevin is keen to continue with the spoon carving. Maybe we'll see you back here sometime. ATB Mark"

Greg Shimmin reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"I had a brilliant day and can't recommend this enough. Mark and Christina are great hosts. You learn so much in a fantastic setting. Mark knows his stuff and passes it on in a very relaxed but informed way. Lunch was brilliant too. I loved it. If you've any interest in this kind of thing just book it. You won't be disappointed."

Walderchain Wood responded:

"Greg Thank you for your review and so glad you enjoyed your day. All the best Mark and Cristina"

Tony reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"My son, his partner, my best friend and me all have a birthday within a couple of weeks of each other, what better way to celebrate than spending a day in the woods with Mark and Christina learning to carve spoons. They are wonderful hosts. The course is very gentle and Mark's is a brilliant teacher. It was nice to meet the other carvers, the food was delicious... And we made some surprisingly reasonable spoons. We would all come back again and thoroughly recommend Walderchain Woods."

Walderchain Wood responded:

"Tony Glad to hear you all enjoyed the class. It was a lovely day and group did great. Hope to see you here again.. ATB Mark"

Hatty reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"Some friends arranged for my husband and I to participate on this course as a wedding present. We went as a four, without much expectation nor any experience in carving wood..and we had the most amazing day! It was a brilliant gift idea, extremely therapeutic, satisfying and fun to do with good friends in an incredible setting. Mark is a fantastic teacher. He is calm, patient, very knowledgable yet relatable. He really encouraged us to become confident with our equipment, and each one of us made a beautiful hand carved wooden spoon as a result! Cristina was also warm and welcoming, and made us a delicious lunch during our midday break. Walderchain Wood is a beautiful, natural environment where the birds sing and the leaves are green. I couldn't recommend more. 5 stars!"

Dan Emmerson reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"What a great experience! Mark was a very attentive and patient teacher, we came away from the course having gained many transferable craft techniques. The 'king' provided was absolutely delicious, with lots of fresh produce and a cake! Would highly highly recommend to anyone! 10/10"

Walderchain Wood responded:

"Dan, thank you for the review. The day was a blast, I had a wonderful time. You all made great spoons. Long live the king ;)"

Isabelle Sporidis reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"You guys! I nearly cried. Not because I was sad but because you actually helped me get over my fear of very sharp pointy knives. So if you think you are too weedy to handle a whacking great axe or deal with sharp tools - think again. I have a genuine phobia and the patience and care I was shown was worth 3 years of therapy! I also made a pretty nifty spoon and enjoyed a hilarious lunch with fellow spooners. You only get nice people doing this course. You will make a spoon. You will have fun. What's not to like?"

Walderchain Wood responded:

"Isobelle, now you have got a 'handle' on the blades there will be no stopping you! Great to have have you here and glad you got so much out of the day. ATB Mark"

Iain Sutherland reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"A very enjoyable day, in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The instructions were clear, concise and to the point. I feel it is necessary to have reasonable manual dexterity to get the most out of the day."

Walderchain Wood responded:

"Thank you for your kind words. Glad you enjoyed the day. You're right a reasonable level of manual dexterity is required but no super human skill or energy... ATB Mark"

Luke Mansell reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"Right - I am reviewing this course having accidentally (and independently) decided to try spoon carving. I had already watched loads of YouTube videos on the subject and already purchased a basic tool-set; I had even beaten a couple of spoons into existence.... Luckily, I was still conscious enough to realise that I might not know everything about the subject and signed up for this course - and thank goodness I did. The setting is beautiful and entirely conducive to the job in hand (for an absolute beginner (which I really am) or someone pretending to have a clue (which I was). Mark and Jill are: a) lovely people, b) deeply, deeply knowledgeable and committed to the whole green woodworking movement/spoon-carving thing and c) lovely, lovely people - and I thank them both for a fantastic day from which I gained new knowledge and an affirmation that I had connected with something that is important and, for me, a grounding experience. If you have just fallen in love and want to share an amazing experience or if you are bored, lonely, frustrated and have indigestion or if you are young, old or anywhere in-between or, like me, just want to learn - do this course! If you only enjoy the walk in the wood and the veggie soup it will be money well spent; but I guarantee you will get much, much more from the day - thank you Mark and Jill !! Luke x"

Walderchain Wood responded:

"Luke, Thank you for the review. Youtube vids can be great as long as you watch the right ones. Hopefully the links I sent you will help develop your technique further. Great spoon from you on the day, we have high expectations for you and look forward to seeing your next creations. TTFN Mark"

Jenny Day reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"What a fantastic day! Thank you so much Mark and Jill for providing such an inspirational course. Your enthusiasm, thoroughness, patience and support gave me great confidence and I was so proud of what I achieved. And to be working in such magical surroundings in the middle of a bluebell wood. It was a very full day, so much excellent advice on techniques, types of wood, tools, health and safety.Thank you too Christina for a feast of a lunch and cake! I could not recommend this course enough. This would make a memorable and superb gift. Just loved it."

Walderchain Wood responded:

"It was a great day, so glad I held the class outside - the weather so much better than the forecast. Glad you enjoyed it all. All the best Mark"

Katia reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"Thanks a lot for a great day, it was thoroughly enjoyable and I am proud of my efforts and resulting spoon (though my kids are less impressed ;-). The setting is spot on, the teachers are knowledgeable and super friendly and the tools very sharp indeed (lol!). I will be back with my friend for sure. If anyone is reading this comment, do not hesitate, do this workshop, you won't regret it one bit, I give you my word!"

Walderchain Wood responded:

"Thank you for your review. We're glad you enjoyed the day. Love to see you back here, if you come in the summer months we should be out in the woodland teaching area. ATB Mark"

Jenny reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"I’ve just had a fantastic day, thank you Mark! I absolutely loved it and am seriously keen to continue carving! The setting was perfect, and for the first time in a long while, I completely lost track of time. Wonderful!"

Walderchain Wood responded:

"Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed the day and glad to hear you want to do more. Spending the whole day in the wood was good 'de-compression' for me too. All the best, Mark"

Jim reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"What a fantastic day in a beautiful setting with such friendly, patient, passionate and knowledgeable teachers. I can't wait to it again!! Not because I was particularly proud of my spoon but because I had enjoyed the process and methods of making it so much. By lunchtime you become completely immersed in the craft and switch off from the outside world. Thank you Mark and Jill"

Walderchain Wood responded:

"Thank you for you review. Glad you enjoyed your day. Lots more classes next year if you do fancy a return trip."

Richard Hawkes reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"I've now done this course twice, which I guess says something in itself ! The first time was with my 8 year old son. Mark & Jill were (rightly !) concerned about an 8 year old doing the spoon carving course given how sharp the tools are and the coordination required. They remained immensely professional about it but facilitated making it possible for Oscar to take part just like any adult. Both he and I has such an amazing day. I couldn't recommend it highly enough. Just DO IT ! 2 years later and following a 2nd trip where I brought our whole office to carve spoons out of logs we all still talk about it very fondly. I'm also pleased to say that 2 years later we're still using all the spoons we made :-) You can never have enough wooden spoons. Think I need to organise another trip . . . !"

Walderchain Wood responded:

"Glad you both enjoyed your day. Oscar did really well - amazing work for an 8 year old."

Audrey Clarke reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"I had a great day on Saturday in the woods carving my spoon, with some lovely company and great tuition from Mark. Lunch was good too! Wonderful opportunity to do something different in a lovely location. I would also recommend it as my fellow spooner has! I would love to have another go."

Walderchain Wood responded:

"Thank you for your review. I'm glad you enjoyed the day and are up for more! All the best Mark"

Marie-Claire reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"My 13yr old son Conor and I had a lovely day yesterday on the spoon carving course. Mark was a great, patient teacher who has a wealth of knowledge about carving and wood. We had a lovely walk around his woods which was very informative and a great homemade lunch of soup and cake. A great day that I’d highly recommend to anyone interested in outdoor activities."

Walderchain Wood responded:

"Thank you very much. I'm glad you both enjoyed your day. Lots of tool shopping next, I guess. ATB Mark"

Virginie Daniau reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"My daughter attended the workshop this weekend and had a wonderful time. She has managed to carve a great spoon even if it was a beginner."

Walderchain Wood responded:

"Many thanks for your review. We're glad Sara enjoyed the class. She did very well. We were particularly impressed with how quickly she took to the axe work. All the best Mark"

DAWN STOCKLEY reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"Wow, what a day. Mark and Jill are amazing teachers in the art of spoon carving. The workshop is in the most beautiful location and a fantastic lunch was provided by Christina. We had been waiting for a date for a year to do the course due to other commitments but the wait was well and truly worth it. The course is about far more than learning to carve a spoon. You learn all about the tools and how to use them safely, information about what wood to use and a lovely walk around Marks woods. If you are considering doing the couse think no more, get on and book it. You will not be disappointed."

Walderchain Wood responded:

"Many thanks for your review. We're glad you enjoyed the day. Watch this page for future classes. All the best Mark"

Gary Bickmore reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"Beautiful location and blessed with fantastic weather. I had a brilliant day and learnt so much that I can take away and apply myself at home. Mark and Jill are patient and expert teachers that support and guide you throughout the day. Excellent advice on techniques and equipment that you might want to look out for should you choose to take up this art. A delicious home made lunch and a nice walk through the woodland with advice on tree types and things like coppicing and woodland management. I couldn’t have asked for a better first experience spoon carving and have gone away with knowledge that will last a lifetime. Thanks to everyone at Walderchain Wood."

Paula reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"Mark very welcoming on arrival and very patient with his teaching. Very hands on and practical. Really had a great day learning how to safely use an axe and different knives. Lunch was wholesome and home made. The best bit was coming away with a spoon that I had carved myself. Thank you for sharing your skills."

Iso reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"A great sunlit day with Mark and Jill at Mark's workshop in autumn-bright beautiful woodland. These two experts gave us excellent hands-on teaching of axe and knife work, tips on wood types and spoon design, plus plenty of tool envy opportunities - all accompanied by much good humour and Chris's fabulous lunch. Thank you!"

Barbara reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"I was looking for an unusual early Christmas present for my partner and this course was brilliant. We had a very good time with Mark and Jill and thanks to their skills and patience, we both managed to carve great spoons, enjoy a delicious meal and have a nice walk in the woods."

Emma reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"If you love crafts and want to try something new, this is an unforgettable day’s course. The skills Mark and Jill have are incredible, they taught me (a complete novice) to carve the most amazing spoon. I’d thoroughly recommend you to sign up, I would definitely return to learn something else. Carving is so good for the soul."