Community Trellis Making Workshop

£0.00

Half day community workshop – making trellis the Medieval way!

 

10:30am – 2:30pm

 

Come and help us turn chestnut logs into functional trellis for our farm growing system.

We will be starting with sweet chestnut logs, and over the course of the session, we will use traditional techniques to to break down the logs and shape them. First we split the logs into laths – starting with axes and wedges, then moving onto a cleaving break and a froe to precisely and effectively split the wood in the most efficient manner. We will then shave the laths using a shavehorse and drawknife, choose the perfect layout, and drill and nail them together to form a sturdy trellis. If some of these terms and tools don’t make sense now – fear not! All will be explained on the day.

The Project

The workshop will form part of funded project put together by Alex Blanks, Senior Archaeologist and woodwork specialist at Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA)
The trellis will be based on an archaeological find from London dated to the 15th century. Stepney City farm was excavated by MOLA as part of the Crossrail project during which they discovered the remains of a late-medieval manor house which may have had a similar trellis in the grounds. Through the project we have commissioned a blacksmith to replicate the tools the crafts people would have used and even made examples of the iron nails which held the trellis together.

 

What to bring!

Bring a packed lunch and a flask for hot drinks, and a water bottle. We will be working outside so please do dress accordingly, and wear sturdy shoes.

 

How much does it cost?

Spaces are free, but limited to 10 spaces, please do not book a place unless you are certain you can come! If you can’t make it, please do let us know ahead of time so we can release your space to the waiting list.

 

Who is it open to?

This workshop is open to anyone over the age of 10, but anyone under 18 needs to be accompanied by a responsible adult. Please do let us know if the person attending is under 18, and if so, who will be accompanying them.

 

Anything else?

We will be making a short film on the day, so if you’re not comfortable being filmed, please let us know beforehand.

 

This course takes place on Stepney City Farm, Stepney Way, London, E1 3DG. Meet outside the woodwork studio in the main courtyard.

At the moment we are only running one session, so dates cannot be transferred once booked.

 

 

 

 

 

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