Bushcraft and primitive skills workshops.
Learn the skills you need to live in nature with or without modern kit!
2024 Workshop dates
In 2024 I will be working on the Living by nature Year Course with Adam Logan and Jamie Dakota. This unique course covers a huge range of ancient and traditional skills, from tanning to food preservation and culminates in a 10 day trip to Sweden as a stone age tribe! For more information check out this blog post and the Howl bushcraft website
To book any of the workshops below, either email us or pay via paypal ( @memmathecavewoman, including your name, and the course you wish to book. ( We are having issues with the ecommerce apps/ Wix!
2024;
2025
Spring Foraging; 26th april 2025
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Held at various sites in Suffolk, but I can come to you! email for info.
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We will look at a range of plants depending on what we find but it is likely to include a mixture of food, medicine, and other uses.
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Pleasant low intensity day
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1 Day
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Age; 12+ children from age 8 may come if accompanied by an adult
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We are taught in western terms that there are 'good plants' and 'Weeds' but to our ancestors this way of looking at nature would have been crazy!
Sitting anonymously in our hedgerows, woods and even lawns are powerful medicines, deadly poisons, delicious edibles and the raw materials for fire, basketry, carving projects, string even fishing hooks! Learning about plants is the key to unlocking a passion for nature and the potential for a closer relationship with it. You'll realise just how much is on your doorstep- even in urban settings. Courses are usually conducted from various sites in Suffolk.
This workshop will involve a fair bit of slow paced walking, so wear appropriate footwear. We will walk and gather, aiming to collect materials for a meal and some tea. We will stop for a lunch of wild goodies before continuing on our way.
£55
Learn to see the landscape through the eyes of a gatherer
Topics I offer as course elements include ( but are not limited to) Fire, foraging, bone and antler working, flint knapping, modern knapping ( with glass) carving and whittling, small game prep, large game Prep, 'Primitive' cooking, Hide working ( furs and buckskin) Clothing manufacture, cordage and netmaking.
The courses listed below are planned for specific dates but can also be incorporated into custom courses. Please Email for more information.
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Knapping flint and glass february 8th 2025
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Up to 10 people
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Sourcing Manmade materials suitable for knapping
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creating fused glass ingots
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Glass, ceramic etc
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Pressure flaking and ​direct percussion.
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1 Day
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Age 12+ ( younger children will likely struggle)
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A modern take on an ancient art!
Many modern materials can be knapped to produce tools- including tile, ceramics, glass, even Toilet cisterns! This workshop is a fun way to access knapping for those who struggle to get hold of good flint, or crave the beautiful colours of glass. Whether you fancy arming a cosplay militia for an oncoming apocalypse, or making beautiful glass arrowheads for jewellery this workshop is for you!
We will focus on pressure flaking and working on small items such as arrowheads, spearheads and knives. This will give you A good grounding in techniques that can be applied to a huge range of materials, giving you an absorbing new skill you can work on at home.
All PPE provided. but please wear closed toe shoes and long trousers. the workshop will take place outside, but under cover. it may be windy or chilly, so bring warm layers.. tea and coffee and fruit will be available, but please bring a packed lunch
£65
Carving and whittling tbc
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Small groups or 1 to 1
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Basic and more advanced whittling techniques​​​
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Safe use of hand saws
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Selecting suitable wood for projects
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Try a selection of different knives
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1 Day
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Children from age 8 welcome with a participating adult.
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Being able to use a knife confidently and competently makes life in the outdoors so much easier that you'll wonder how you managed without. My knife is my near constant companion outdoors and I miss it when I'm forced to leave it behind by our countries increasingly idiotic knife laws. We will start with some basic techniques and a look at which knives are well suited to Bushcraft and why to make things for around camp then move on to a carving project- usually a spoon or netting needle)
There will be a selection of knives to try so you can get an idea of what suits you. This is suitable for adults and/ or children over the age of 8. Children must be accompanied by an adult. This workshop will be held at my home, near Stowmarket, where we will have easy access to tea, coffee and toilet facilities.
Group sizes on this workshop are restricted to 5 to allow for close supervision and tailored teaching.
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£65
Large game 23-24th November
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Small groups or 1 to 1​​​
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sourcing and preparing deer
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Using and producing flint flakes for butchery
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Skinning, gutting and jointing
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Making sausages, jerky, equilibrium curing
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Checking the animals health.
- making use of organs, bones etc.
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2 Days
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Children from age 12 welcome with an adult.- I can obtain a smaller carcass which will be easier to handle than a fallow if preferred
The stuff of life; Meat
Small animals are an important part of survival, but without the skins, organs, fat and sinew of Deer, boar and other large animals our ancestors would have struggled.
Butchering nowadays is often done soley for the meat. Valuable resources are ignored and left in the scraps pile. We will take a different approach, becoming familiar with the structure of the animal in a different way, dismantling the carcass in a way that allows us to use EVERYTHING. This course will take place over 2 days. On day one will will process the carcass down to larger joints and cuts, carefully separating useful bones and tendons on the way.
On day 2 we will look at making sausages, jerky and curing meat. Bring a cool box to transport your meat home and make sure there's space in the freezer!
Cost £270 per person
The cost includes a fallow deer- approx 40-60kg - this provides a LOT of meat. If you wish to work on your deer with another person, and share it, they may attend for an additional £50. NO more than two people to one deer for safety reasons. It also included the additional ingredients needed for making sausages, jerky and curing and tea/ coffee and fruit. There will also be a hot meal at midday both days, involving venison in some form, to whet your appetites!
This course will run either from my new home near stowmarket, or Kentwell Hall ( suffolk) depending on numbers.( both are semi outdoors/ semi undercover sites with some access to electricity/ running water/ toilets etc.
Fur Tanning 18th- 19th January 2025
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Up to 10 people
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Selecting and obtaining pelts, including skinning small animals​​
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Storing and preserving
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Modern and ancient tools for Fleshing and scraping.​
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Wet and dry scraping.
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Different approaches to fat tanning
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Softening and smoking
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2 Days
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Children from age 12 welcome with an adult.
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Fur Tanning
Ever driven past a fresh roadkill and thought 'that's a shame' Ever been processing animals for food and wished you knew how to use the skin?
Well this workshop is for you. We will work on a couple of skins- usually squirrel and fox but if you want to bring your own you're welcome. We'll begin with the skinning process itself, before dealing with the skins. By the end of the weekend you will know how to skin an animal, wet and dry scrape smaller skins, make flint scrapers, tan, soften and smoke to produce beautiful soft furs that can be turned into clothing, blankets and other items. Workshop will be held partly indoors ( in my heated workshop, and partly outdoors. so bring appropriate clothing.
Fur is a controversial subject nowadays, but in extreme cold there really is nothing better. Without it our ancestors would never have been able to move north and find their way into Northern Europe and Eurasia.
Refreshments and fruit provided. I will also make a hot soup and bread for lunch both days. please make me aware of dietary requirements at booking.
£ 150
Leather pouches 25th january 2025
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Small groups or 1 to 1​​​​
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Uses and history
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Seam and construction methods
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decoration techniques
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1 Day
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Children from age 12 welcome with an adult
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Leather pouches
You can never have too many pouches; the ability to organise and protect precious essential items stops much needed things from getting lost or damaged. For many nomadic peoples these essential items often become creative outlet to show personal flair, family history and a great way to utilize small pieces of fur and leather.
This is a relaxed day or crafting and sewing. Materials supplied ( but feel free to bring any special bits and pieces you wish to include.
We will look at construction methods, how to cut and piece fur, decorative techniques and different seam finishes. This workshop is an excellent one to pair with either of my tanning workshops, but I also provide a range of materials and tools
This workshop will be held indoors in my heated workshop. However it is still likely to be cold, so bring a hat, fingerless gloves and any sewing equipment you prefer to use.
£55