William Barsley reviews

Paul reviewed: Carve a medieval knight | One-day woodcarving course - intermediate

"This was a great course, with lots achieved. William has amazing carvings with all the knowledge that comes with it. He was a fantastic instructor, with historical knowledge and very personal. I would definitely recommend him again!!"

William Barsley responded:

"Thanks Charlie, it was great to meet you and I was seriously impressed by what you achieved. Particularly since you hadn't carved before. Best of luck with it and I look forward to welcoming you back on a course again. "

Sharon Jones reviewed: One-day woodcarving for beginners

"An excellent course, Will is really helpful & let’s you go at your own pace. I learnt what tools to use for what & came away with a carving I never thought I could do and I was very impressed with. Thank you, definitely recommend "

William Barsley responded:

"Thank you Sharon. It was a fun days carving and a pleasure to meet you. "

Mike Kelly reviewed: Two-day woodcarving for beginners

"Very good course, straight into it. Lots of good advice and information. (Get those chisels sharp!!)"

Jessica reviewed: Two-day woodcarving for beginners

"Will is an excellent instructor. I was impressed how he was able to create a safe, supportive and fun learning environment for our group in such a short span of time. He helped each of us choose, design and execute our own projects, carefully guiding us through the wood carving process, while making sure that each of us felt sufficiently challenged considering our respective levels of experience and interest in taking the course. I can't wait to get my own set of chisels so I can continue my projects at home and hope to have the chance to learn more from Will in the future. I highly recommend this course!"

David reviewed: Two-day woodcarving for beginners

"A thoroughly enjoyable beginners course covering as much as you could take in. Will is an exceptional tutor, knowledgeable, passionate, supportive and fun. Time flew by and I would very much like to continue with this learning experience. Many thanks Will."

Tor Inge Dolve reviewed: Two-day woodcarving for beginners

"William Barsley is a very competent wood carver. He is a good instructor and supportive in the learning process. I would definitely recommend this course to others."

Seamus McDonald reviewed: One-day woodcarving for beginners

"One day wood carving course, absolutely brilliant, William is a great craftsman and teacher. Lots of information to absorb and process over the next few weeks/months - which will hopefully will feed into my own work. Give it a go if you are thinking about it!"

Peter reviewed: One-to-one woodcarving tuition (one day)

"I attended this course with my apprentice, to refresh my letter-carving skills. We both came away with a very good knowledge of carving many different lettering styles. Will is a gifted craftsman and talented and patient teacher, who tailored the workshop suit our needs and skills level. I was very impressed with the research and prep he had done prior to the day. All tools were extremely sharp, and the materials provided were excellent. The workshop is very well situated on the outskirts of Totnes, with great lunch facilities on the doorstep. I would highly recommend Will's courses."

Peter reviewed: One-day woodcarving for beginners

"I attended this course with my apprentice, to refresh my letter-carving skills. We both came away with a very good knowledge of carving many different lettering styles. Will is a gifted craftsman and talented and patient teacher, who tailored the workshop suit our needs and skills level. I was very impressed with the research and prep he had done prior to the day. All tools were extremely sharp, and the materials provided were excellent. The workshop is very well situated on the outskirts of Totnes, with great lunch facilities on the doorstep. I would highly recommend Will's courses."

Hannah reviewed: One-day woodcarving for beginners

"I attended a one day beginner's course with my dad and my son. We had such a great time and it was a lovely day to spend together. Will was a really great teacher and we came away feeling inspired and pleased, having each made a lovely carving to keep. We much appreciated Will's expertise and his clear and patient approach. Highly recommended!"

Adam Southcombe reviewed: Two-day woodcarving for beginners

"Very friendly relaxed and fulfilling experience, Will is very skilled and translates that skill effortlessly to his students, like Yoda with chisels! I would recommend from beginner to experienced woodworkers, you will learn a lot from will!"

Angus reviewed: One-day woodcarving for beginners

"Really good from a learning perspective and conversationally. Will's experience and knowledge of the craft is exceptional. Also and importantly the biscuits and coffee are good!"

Martin reviewed: One-day woodcarving for beginners

"Will has extensive knowledge and experience of carving. More importantly, he is willing and able to teach the subject. Prior to the course, I was asked for some information on my past experience, I described this and explained the specific area of carving I was interested in. I came away with knowledge and experience of the area i was interested in, and with the course content that had already been prepared. Many thanks Will."

JUNE THOMPSON reviewed: One-day woodcarving for beginners

"Very interesting course. William is very knowledgeable, amazing to see the work he has done/doing. Lovely relaxed atmosphere, once the basics were shown we were left to try a sample square..attentive but not in a fussy way. Felt able to ask questions, all were answered politely, with ease and humour. Great day, thoroughly enjoyed it. There were only 2 of us and we were both at the same level...never having done carving before.! Would love to go back again once I have had some practice at home... Recommend it."

Nick Booth reviewed: Two-day woodcarving for beginners

"Can I start by saying this was the best course I've ever been on ! Will is an excellent tutor and gifted craftsman . He covered many techniques of carving , plus the chisel sharpening section . This enabled me to produce my own piece ! I found him patient , knowledgeable and above all able to communicate how to pass on his skills . It was a brilliant two days and I will be returning for more courses soon ."

Kay Barber reviewed: One-day woodcarving for beginners

"What a fantastic day..." time flies when you're enjoying yourself"...I felt like I was there an hour or so! Will is a great teacher, very calm, happy, covering all basic aspects for your budding future in woodcarving. I came away not only inspired but full of enthusiasm to pick up those gouges and get cracking! As Will said look out driftwood ...oh yes here I come! Thank you Will I highly recommend it to all. PS Forgot to mention the tea and pastries (made freshly from the local baker)! Oh, I wish I wasn't Gluten Free!!"

Steve Hart reviewed: One-day woodcarving for beginners

"I attended the course with a list of questions built up from reading and watching YouTube and looking for an introduction to carving. I really got into it, enabled by Will’s instruction , explanations, encouragement and patience we got so engrossed the day flew by and I wanted to book for more. Next time down I will be back. If an introduction is what you are looking for then I highly recommend Will, I am also confident that in our short time with him we hardly dented his depth of knowledge or instruction capability."

Terry Emberson reviewed: Two-day woodcarving for beginners

"Being a total novice and not very creative, I was surprised at how easy Will made it for me to actually use the carving tool successfully! Will is a brilliant teacher - patient, understandable and vastly talented."

Mona and Tim reviewed: One-day woodcarving for beginners

"We've had a one day course with Will on an off-grid retreat and it was so brilliant. We both never done anything like that before but Will was so good at putting us at ease, explaining the technique and making it so fun and lovely, letting us be creative!!! The few hours flew by and we had amazing little coasters, hand carved, by the end of it. We wish Will all the best in Devon and we can recommend his courses to anyone who's interested in wood carving or just want to try something new!"

Adam reviewed: Two-day woodcarving for beginners

"Having no previous woodcarving experience, i didn't know what to expect and was a little nervous about the course. I shouldn't have been though. Will is an excellent teacher and very patient. We started by learning the basics such as the tools and how to sharpen the chisels (I'd never even sharpened a knife before!) before trying out some woodcarving techniques. Before long, I'd gained enough confidence to start on my own piece and am delighted with the final result. Considering I had zero experience, it's not that bad at all ? Thank you Will for a great, fun experience."

Becky reviewed: One-day woodcarving for beginners

"Will is an excellent teacher, I had no previous woodcarving experience but learnt alot about the different tools and techniques needed to get started with woodcarving. Will was very patient and was more than happy to answer any questions and give suggestions around design. There were a few of us in the group but Will gave us all one on one guidance throughout the day. I had an excellent day and came away with something I was very happy with. For anyone looking for a woodcarving course, I couldn't recommend Will enough!"

Ellie reviewed: One-day woodcarving for beginners

"I completed a woodcarving course with Will and was blown away by his carving skills, his knowledge about the craft and his ability to teach a complete novice how to use the tools. He was incredibly patient throughout the day, and guided me to produce a letter carving I was thrilled with. I thoroughly recommend Will to anyone out there with little, or no knowledge of woodcarving, that wants to give it a go. Thank you Will. I shall definitely be back for another day carving with you soon."

Danny Danjuma reviewed: One-day woodcarving for beginners

"One of the most amazing courses I’ve taken, from the friendly and focused attention of the facilitator to the free yet safe feeling in the opportunity to create, I’ll definitely be looking to take up wood carving after this. Can’t recommend this enough!"

Scarlet Hodge reviewed: One-to-one woodcarving tuition (one day)

"Will was extremely welcoming upon arrival and held a very thorough yet fun course. Techniques and equipment explained well and great attention to detail regarding covid regulations. We enjoyed every minute and time flew by! And what an amazing location!"

William Barsley responded:

"Thanks so much Scarlet. It was good fun and great to introduce you to the art of woodcarving!"