WOODLANDERS

Building a Roundwood Frame with the Woodlanders

It’s been a while since I last took part in this kind of workshop. The closest experience I have had to this was probably over a decade ago when my partner Millie and I travelled to Pembrokeshire, South Wales for a Reciprocal Roof building workshop led by the legendary Tony Wrench. We still look back at that mad weekend and reminisce over the bonkers characters we met & the laughs we had, not to mention the absolutely stunning building we created by the end.

Participating in workshops can offer much more than what is advertised and I don’t just mean the free tea & biscuits. There’s an energy experienced that’s hard to describe.

I’m no anthropologist, but it seems logical that hidden deep in our DNA is a need for this kind of coming together.

There’s something special in the coming together with individuals from various corners of the world & all walks of life to create, irrespective of the final outcome.

The satisfaction feels almost primal.

I’ve had an interest in roundwood construction ever since I saw that episode of Grand Design featuring Ben Law’s ‘The Woodsman Cottage’.

So, needless to say, when I discovered there was a Round Wood Frame Building course just down the road from us (in Welsh terms) & the instructor Will was one of Ben Laws former students. How could I resist?

The host, Will, was an absolute legend with the patience of a saint. Before moving to Wales, he had worked as an apprentice to Ben Law and progressed quickly to the position of Ben’s head builder. If that doesn’t tell you all you need to know about Will’s skills, then nothing will.

Below are a few images taken during my time on Will’s Woodlanders course in-between all my hard graft of course! This wasn’t a paid commission I just felt the urge to bring my camera along and hopefully share the love.

This 4 day Woodlanders Workshop hosted by Will Hannam took place on his beautiful land that he shares with his partner Vik and their gorgeous young Flo, overlooking the Mawddach Estuary, in Eryri (Snowdonia National park).