5-Day Woodcarving Summer School - Discovering the hidden treasure of Misericords
13-17 September: with expert guidance from a master carver take a deep dive into wood carving, through the wonderful world of misericords.
- Booking essential
On this intensive 1-week summer school we will take a deep dive into the wonderful, quirky, upside-down world of the misericord, or mercy seat. These seats form part of church choir stalls and are seemingly hidden away but once the seats are flipped up the viewer is treated to a whole array of weird and wonderful master pieces from the 13th century right up to the present day.
On the course, guided by your tutor, master carver and heritage crafts wood worker of the year, Thomas Ball. You will start off with an introductory talk showing these weird and wonderful carvings and hear about their origins and where to find them. You will then move onto an introduction on the carving tools you will be using and learn how to use them before doing some warmup exercises to get you used to the timber. Next up you will choose from the examples provided of various casts taken from original misericords. From this point onwards your tutor will guide you through the process of carving from start to finish, creating your very own carving to take home.
This course is suitable for beginners and those with experience of carving who are looking to enhance their skills, and the course will be capped to ensure that each student has plenty of tutor time.
This course takes place over 5 days, Monday 13th – Friday 17th September, 9am-5pm daily. There will be a break for lunch each day. Tea/coffee is provided, and there is a fantastic café on site.
Times
Prices
| Ticket type | Ticket category |
|---|---|
| Adult | £725.00 |
| Concession Young Person (18 - 24) | £650.00 |
The basics
- Booking number
Call 0344 249 1895
- Accessibility
Toilets on site, including accessible toilet. Level access into the teaching space. Some uneven surfaces such as cobbles due to the historic nature of the building. Please contact us if you would like to have an informal chat about access before you book.
- Meeting point
The Orton Studio at the Heritage and Rural Skills Centre in Coleshill village. Follow signs for the Coleshill Estate Office for the car park.
- Suitability for children
Not suitable for children.
- What to bring and wear
Any drawing equipment you may have, a notebook and sturdy shoes. All carving tools will be provided but feel free to bring along any chisels or woodworking tools that you may already have.
- Other
Mess room available for course participants to use during breaks. Drinking water and facilities for making tea and coffee available. Refreshments/lunches available to purchase from on-site café. Accommodation not included.
Upcoming events
Introduction to Blacksmithing: Christmas Edition
14 November: make Christmas-themed items as you learn the fundamentals of blacksmithing.
Make a Large Willow Bird Feeder
7th of March, 24th of July and 14th of November. Enjoy a short course learning about the traditional craft of willow weaving. Make a bird feeder to take home.
Make a Pair of Silver Stud Earrings in a Day with the Bishopsland Educational Trust
14 November: Create your own beautiful pair of sterling silver stud earrings, using traditional silversmithing techniques, that you can take home at the end of the day.
Needle Felting: Make a Christmas Robin
21 November: Learn the fundamentals of needle felting, sculpt a realistic robin, using pure sheep’s wool and a special barbed needle.