Scythe Course at Lancaster Castle

Posted on September 3, 2013 by stevetomlin

Later this month I will be teaching a ‘Learn to Scythe’ course for beginners at Lancaster Castle. If you haven’t managed to get on one of my other courses this year and you’re keen to learn how to use a scythe, here’s your chance.

Beyond the Castle

Group Scythe Workshops

Thursday 26^th September 10 am – 5 pm

with Steve Tomlin from Scytherspace

Venue: The Well Tower at Lancaster Castle and Vicarage Field

The ‘Learn to Mow Workshop’ will focus on practical skills development and learning-by-doing as participants will practice the ‘tai-chi’ mowing style on Vicarage Field near the Roman Bath House site.
The Well Tower at Lancaster Castle will serve as an indoor venue where participants will learn how to set up and adjust the scythe. The workshop will also cover theory and practice of sharpening and peening, blade care and maintenance.
During the cause of the day we will explore and discuss landscape management options for the urban green space from Lancaster Castle down to St Georges Quay.
Scythes, whetstones and peening equipment will be provided.
To book a free place please email Lucia.Marquart@lancashire.gov.uk at Beyond the Castle, Lancashire County Council or call 07887 831154. Please provide us with your height measurements when booking. Minimum age 18 years.
For Beyond the Castle please visit www.lancaster.gov.uk/beyondthecastle or www.facebook.com/beyondthecastle.

Posted in scythe courses, Scytherspace | Tagged Austrian, course, lancashire, lancaster, scythe, scythe course, workshop | Leave a comment

Scything for ITV Countrywise

Posted on August 28, 2013 by stevetomlin

I spent the afternoon today being filmed for a piece on scything with Paul Heiney as part of a new series of Countrywise on ITV. It was great fun to do but very busy without the time to really teach Paul how to scythe though he seemed genuinely interested in learning and he was getting the hang of it even with just half an hour of practise.

This filming was quite a bit longer than when I was on Countryfile last year with John Craven and will be several minutes long when it appears on screen in the autumn. As well as filming Paul and I as we chatted, set up the scythe and mowed, the crew took the time to get some more artistic shots on camera which should look great as the meadow was looking lovely in the evening light.

Have a look at my Learn to Scythe courses if you fancy having a go yourself.

Posted in Scytherspace, Uncategorized | Tagged Countryfile, Countrywise, cumbria, ITV, John Craven, Lake District, Paul Heiney, scythe | 2 Comments

Scythe course in NE Scotland

Posted on August 19, 2013 by stevetomlin

It’s a long drive from Kendal to the north-east of Scotland but it’s all worth it when you’re enjoying teaching people to scythe and the meadow is as nice as it was this weekend.
I was invited up to teach Basia, her husband Andy and neighbour Jane how to scythe on their smallholding north of Aberdeen. They have 5 acres, 2 of which are a lovely meadow with a good population of yellow rattle which will be made into hay. It was terrific mowing there with the large blue sky above us and the wind to our backs. The windrows looked beautiful and I was enjoying having a small group who I could give plenty of individual tuition to. Alex joined us on Sunday and quickly got the hang of mowing in the tai-chi style.

On Sunday we looked at using the scythe in other locations including trimming weeds around a newly planted hedge and clearing a really impressive field of thistles. Strimmers just get clogged up with this kind of work but, with the right technique, the scythe slices through them in a most satisfying way.

The final part of the weekend was peening the scythes with a discussion of techniques followed by some practise. Women are often put off by the thought of this so I was especially happy that Basia and Jane not only got the hang of it but enjoyed hammering as much as the blokes!
A lovely group who made me feel very welcome and loads of scything fun in a terrific setting; well worth the journey.

Posted in scythe courses, Scytherspace | Tagged course, hay, learn, meadow, mow, Scotland, scythe, scythe course, thistle | Leave a comment

Extra learn to scythe course date 2013

Posted on August 13, 2013 by stevetomlin

Due to amazing demand this year from people keen to learn to scythe I have arranged an additional date for Sunday 8 Sept 2013 at Sprint Mill, near Kendal in Cumbria. Just £60 for a whole day of professional tuition including setting up the scythe, mowing technique, sharpening and peening the blade.
This is your last chance to get on one of my courses this year and demand is already high so if you’re toying with the idea of joining the scythe renaissance don’t delay, contact me at steve-tomlin[at]hotmail.co.uk now to book your place.

Posted in scythe courses, Scytherspace | Tagged Austrian, course, cumbria, learn to scythe | Leave a comment

Learn to Scythe in the Yorkshire Dales

Posted on August 12, 2013 by stevetomlin

This weekend’s Learn to Scythe course was organised by the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust as part of their ongoing hay meadow project. Based at Keasden Head farm with terrific views of the Yorkshire Three Peaks 10 students took part over the two-day workshop.

On the first day we covered setting up the snaths and adjusting the blade to fit each person and then the tai-chi mowing method. This left the whole afternoon for people to get to grips with practising mowing and learning the crucial skill of keeping the blades sharp.
Day two started with peening and became a very in-depth discussion of how to shape the edge of the scythe, the various methods including peening jig and freehand peening using an anvil as well as digressions into scythe manufacture, blade designs and snath making. I really enjoyed having such and interested group to talk through the principles and ideas. Following the theory we had time for a practical peening workshop, each person either peening their own scythe or one of my practise blades. To finish off, we spent a couple of hours mowing a tricky patch of ground includng slopes, ditches, docks and obstacles to test the groups new skills to the full.

Posted in scythe courses, Scytherspace | Tagged anvil, Austrian, jig, learn to scythe, mowing, peening, scythe, scythe course, UK, Yorkshire | Leave a comment

Request for Chair-making memories

Posted on July 20, 2013 by stevetomlin

Jennie Alexander has asked me to see if I can help her trace any of the people and details of a green wood chair making course she taught there as John Alexander. If you were there or have any information please contact jennie@greenwoodworking.com
“I am looking for any pictures of the course at Parham House. Any shot of Neville Neal there would be wonderful.
I wonder if you could put out a request for pictures. I would like one for the Third Edition of Make a Chair from a Tree. I also need the date I visited and taught. It was a wonderful experience. I would love to hear from anyone who was involved. Where is the young lady from Germany who took the course? Where is the young man who at the end of the course lacked suitable wood for one last rung? I confess we (myself included) took a broom down off the wall and made an ash rung for for the oak chair. I remember David Drew making his chair seat from willow while everyone else pounded ash for splints. What a wonderful journey.
I had asked John Makepeace to invite Neville Neal. After I demonstrated, Neville would take the Senior Class upstairs and introduce them to the joys of post and rung chairmaking. I intentionally did not visit the second floor. At the end of the course the Seniors descended with their chairs. I was astonished. Neville himself had made the simple chair I was teaching. I was deeply moved by his craft and kindness.”

Posted in chair making, SteveTomlinCrafts | Tagged Alexander, chair, green wood, handmade, Jennie, John | Leave a comment

Scythe courses with Cumbria Wildlife Trust

Posted on July 20, 2013 by stevetomlin

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been teaching a series of Learn to Mow with an Austrian Scythe courses for Cumbria Wildlife Trust as part of their Meadow Life project. Working over the next 3 years the project aims to “enhance, restore and manage flower rich hay meadows in the area, using traditional practices to increase plant diversity.”
The workshops took place at 3 venues; Brown Robin Reserve at Grange-over-Sands, Brigsteer Bee Reserve and Piper Hole farm, Ravenstonedale. The weather has been amazing and the views stunning from the sites. It was especially nice to work at Piper Hole which is Cumbria county’s Coronation Meadow – a flagship wildflower meadow which will be used to seed other meadows in the area.

Lots of great mowing under the hot sun.

A really exciting element of this is that we are building up a local network of people who are interested in traditional meadow management and can use a scythe. Many of the people on the courses were meadow owners themselves and based in a very small area so they’ll hopefully keep in touch with each other to offer support and be the basis of a future Cumbrian Scythe Team who could mow larger meadows collectively.

Thanks to Cumbria Wildlife Trust for involving me in the project and to all the participants for making it so much fun.

Posted in scythe courses, Scytherspace | Tagged Austrian, course, cumbria, Meadow Life, scythe, scythe course, UK, Wildlife Trust | Leave a comment

Meadow patterns

Posted on July 17, 2013 by stevetomlin

The 15th July is an important date for a lot of farmers as it’s the first day you can cut your meadows if you are in the Higher Level Stewardship scheme. This means that everywhere you look the fields are being mown to make the most of the sun we’re having, leaving amazing patterns across the fields.

Posted in Scytherspace, Uncategorized | Tagged farming, patterns, stewardship | Leave a comment

Learn to Mow in the North Pennines

Posted on July 15, 2013 by stevetomlin

As part of the new Nectarworks project in the North Pennines AONB I’ll be running a Learn to Mow course at the end of the month. There are still places available on this subsidized course which includes meals and accomodation at a beautiful location close to Barnard Castle.

Learn to Mow Course

Friday 26^th and Saturday 27^th July

At Low Way farm, Holwick, Teesdale

Cost: £90 (£60 concessions) including tuition, meals and bunk barn accommodation or camping

Scythes, whetstones and peening equipment all provided

Couse Outline

The focus of the ‘Learn to Mow’ course is practical skills and learning-by-doing to send people away ready to continue on their own. The course will cover the following topics:

Features and advantages of the Austrian scythe
How to set up the scythe to your size & adjust the blade
The ‘tai-chi’ mowing style for more efficient cutting and less stress on the body
Sharpening in the field
Peening the blade to shape the edge
Care & maintenance

Book now. Places limited

To book your place, contact
Mandy Oliver, Nectarworks Community Officer
T: 01388 528801
E: mandy@northpenninesaonb.org.uk

North Pennines AONB Partnership, Weardale Business Centre, The Old Co-op Building, 1 Martin Street, Stanhope, Weardale, Bishop Auckland, County Durham DL13 2UY

Posted in scythe courses, Scytherspace | Tagged Austrian, Nectarworks, north east, Pennines, scythe, scythe course, UK | Leave a comment

Baling the hay

Posted on July 14, 2013 by stevetomlin

On thursday Paul & Grace put in a heroic effort, manning the baler through the heat and putting out a massive 50 bales while Kirsten & I continued to spread and turn the grass cut on tuesday.

While we worked we were visited by Sarah Thomas who is making A Journey on Foot for Penguin books, walking and camping for 2 months and recording meetings, thoughts and whatever else her path crosses. As we continued baling she interviewed us about the hay making, the community spirit of life at Sprint Mill and our attachments to the land. She even pitched in and made a couple of bales before picking up her rucksack and wandering on.
Finally, we put tuesdays hay into stooks to stop it getting wet from the dew before quenching our thirst and toasting the days efforts.