a centre for sustainable living near Dorset's Jurassic Coast
Upcoming Workshops, Courses & Events
Click here for Regular Events Listings.
Jan 14th - Jan 15th Scythe Association (Britain and Ireland) AGM
Scythe Association (Britain & Ireland) Inaugural Gathering & AGM
January 14th - 15th (Sat - Sun)
Contact Simon Fairlie for more information.
Jan 16th, 23rd & 30th Pediatric First Aid
January 16th, 23rd & 30th (Mondays)
6:30-9:30pm
£60 per person
Ask about subsidized spaces available for South West Dorset residents!*
Dorset Early Years subsidies may also apply.
This Whitehorse Safety course has been designed for staff working in early years and childcare settings, and fully complies with the requirements of Ofsted.
Click here for to download the full course description.
Successful candidates will receive a Pediatric First Aid certificate valid for three years.
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
* The Skills for Self Reliance project is funded in part by the European Agricultural fund for European Development 2007-2013: Europe Investing in Rural Areas.
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Jan 17th Monkton Movies: The Kingdom of Survival
The Kingdom of Survival
January 17th (Tuesday)
Film starting at 7:30pm, informal discussion following
This month we're proud to present another area
premiere. The Kingdom of
Survival,
the
latest release by filmmaker M.A. Littler, uses
the framework of the Great American Roadtrip
to present a variety of perspectives from the
land of the free sadly missing from most of
its national (and international) media
representations.
Monkton
Movies, an
offering in our monthly events calendar, focuses
on the profound connections between people and
the natural world as depicted through films of
various genres.
All participants are invited to propose films for
future showings, and to lead the discussions
afterward.
A £5 donation is requested but nobody's turned
away.
And everyone's urged to bring healthy drinks and
snacks to share on the night!
This event
was made possible through the generous support of
the Dorset Partnership for Older People
Project.
Jan 18th Local Lunch
Local Lunch
January 18th (Wednesday)
Informal
grounds tour from 12:30,
lunch served at 1pm
Only
£6! PLEASE BOOK AHEAD.
Come
share a taste of Monkton Wyld Court.
Join us for a delicious homemade meal made with
fresh seasonal ingredients from our own walled
garden and other local producers. Take a tour
around the house and grounds.
We look forward to seeing you here.
Please
contact us at least a day ahead to reserve your
place.
Jan 28th - Feb 12th Permaculture Design
with Aranya and the Designed Visions team
January 28th - February 12th
two weeks, 90 course hours
From the course leader:
This practical course will bring the possibility of significant and positive life changes. Although permaculture is most commonly thought about in connection with gardening & farming, its principles, ethics and design methods can be adapted and used in each individual's own work, interests and home to bring about a more harmonious & sustainable lifestyle. Permaculture offers a perspective on all aspects of building a sustainable future. Permaculture encourages us to use our individual skills, knowledge and interests, whilst drawing on traditional wisdom, science and our innate ability to observe and learn from the world around us.
Course participants will be awarded the Permaculture Association (Britain)'s internationally recognised Certificate in Permaculture Design.
Visit the Designed Visions website for more details and to book on this long-running and much-lauded comprehensive course.
Feb 18th Dr Bike Lunch & Workshop
February 18th (Sat), 1pm - 4pm
£5 lunch, workshop free of charge
Resolved to be healthy and happy this year? We can help! Join the MWC cyclists for a healthy balanced lunch and an afternoon of bicycle DIY and rediscover the joy of self-propelled travel.
Contact us to check availability or to book.
Mar 2nd - Mar 4th Hedgelaying Weekend with Nick Fowler
with Nick Fowler
March 2nd - 4th (Fri - Sun)
£215 residential, £145 non-residential, £165 camping
Some subsidized spaces available for South West Dorset residents.*
The award-winning local hedgelayer shares his skills in preparing and maintaining hedges using hand tools in the traditional method.
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
* The Skills for Self Reliance project is funded in part by the European Agricultural fund for European Development 2007-2013: Europe Investing in Rural Areas.
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Mar 12th - Mar 16th Spring Garden Week
with the MWC Community Garden Team
March 12th - 16th (Mon - Fri)
£150 - £50* residential, all-inclusive
Work closely with the MWC gardeners in the Victorian walled garden, forest garden, other arable plots around the site and the management of the land. Experience a mix of traditional organic methods, biodynamics, permaculture and good common sense. Take part in specially designed projects and the work of the season. Suitable for all levels and styles of gardening enthusiast.
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
* Rates for Garden Weeks are determined on a sliding scale, according to what guests feel they can afford to pay
Mar 16th -Mar 18th Compost Loo Design-and-Build
with the MWC Community
March 16th - 18th (Fri - Sun)
£215 residential, £145 non-residential, £165 camping
Some subsidized spaces available for South West Dorset residents.*
This comprehensive course offers participants the start-to-finish knowledge and experience required to site, design and build a low-impact no-concrete compost toilet at home (or anywhere, really).
Section I (this weekend) focuses on Theory, Design and Practice.
What is a compost toilet and why is it so worth having? What factors are important in choosing the site and what design options should be considered? Includes a tour of local compost toilets.
Section II (dates TBD) focuses on Construction.
What tools and materials are best suited to this kind of construction in this climate (and others)? Fundamental construction safety and proper tool usage reviewed and the building of the loo itself led and overseen by our experienced instructors.
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
* The Skills for Self Reliance project is funded in part by the European Agricultural fund for European Development 2007-2013: Europe Investing in Rural Areas.
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Mar 24th Tai Chi Day
Tai Chi Day
March 24th (Saturday)
More details to come...
Mar 31 Emergency First Aid at Work One-Day Course
One Day Course
with Sirius Business Services
March 31st (Saturday)
9am - 4pm
£60 per person with organic lunch included
Ask about subsidized spaces available for South West Dorset residents!*
Successful participants of this one-day intensive course will receive HSE-approved Emergency First Aid at Work certification valid for three years.
Click here for to download the full course description.
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
* The Skills for Self Reliance project is funded in part by the European Agricultural fund for European Development 2007-2013: Europe Investing in Rural Areas.
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Apr 1st - 5th Green Roof & Gardening Family Work Week
with the MWC Community & Friends
April 1st - 5th (Sunday - Thursday)
All-inclusive rates for the week:
Adult £125, Children 5 - 16 £85, Under-5s £40
This spring we're scheduling some restoration work on a very special building, our Meditation Hut. We know this is a project dear to many peole's hearts, and we'd like to open it up to the wider Monkton community.
The work itself, ranging from planting herbs and laying mosaic tiles to constructing the planned sedum roof, will be tailored to suit the ages of everyone involved. This will be the main focus of the week, with hearty meals and light evening entertainment also provided. One day will be devoted to a country walk and seaside picnic.
PLEASE NOTE: The emphasis of this week on shared contribution to a specific project distinguishes it from other family weeks. This is reflected specifically in the comparatively lower price and shorter length of the 'week'. While games and activities will be organised as alternatives for children, participants are requested to take part to the best of their ability in the work at hand. More information on the Meditation Hut restoration project itself can be found below.
A wireless interception station relocated
from Lyme Regis Golf Course in the late 1940s,
the octagonal hut was since used as students'
(and briefly nannies') accommodation, office and
storage space and in recent decades a quiet, cosy
retreat from the business everywhere else. When
the small building's roof collapsed in 2008,
restoration work was unavoidably delayed by lack
of funds and lack of workers.
That restoration project is now possible, thanks
in great part to a generous donation from the
Ecology Building Society Charitable Foundation
(and our keen helpers' support!). It will include
rebuilding the frame and walls of the Hut itself
using sustainably sourced larch from the woods
across the road, with natural insulation and a
living roof. We'll also be developing a
meditation garden replete with drinking herbs and
quiet nooks to aid in contemplation.
Monkton Wyld Court thanks the members of the
Meditation Hut project groups from
Permaculture
Design
courses held here over the years for their
conributions to this vision; particularly the
2011 group, whose image is used
above.
Click
here
to download our course booking form and
instructions.
Contact us
to check availability.
Apr 5th - Apr 8th How to Set Up a Low-Impact Smallholding
with Simon Fairlie and Jyoti Fernandes
April 5th - 8th
(Thursday evening through Sunday afternoon incl. bank holiday Friday)
£275 residential, £195 non-residential
Special rates available for camping and Fri-Sun participants!
subsidized spaces for South West Dorset residents*
Everything you wanted to know about starting a smallholding as well as a tour of some of the area's finest,
this course combines the planning and administrative considerations with the practical concerns and somehow manages to keep the dream alive.
Scythe importer and grass management enthusiast Simon Fairlie heads Chapter 7 of The Land is Ours and The Land magazine (among other things) from his stable block offices here at Monkton Wyld Court. Jyoti Fernandes of nearby Fivepenny Farm has worked with Simon for years on all of the above and recently set up the Peasant Evolution Producers' Co-op for area smallholders and supporters.
Thanks so much to everyone involved (especially Simon and Jyoti) for really great, informative and inspiring weekend... We managed to cram in so much information in 3 days and it really helped going to see local smallholders (to see the theory becoming reality!).
a 2010
Course Participant
Click here
to download
our course booking form and
instructions.
Contact us
to check availability.
*
The
Skills for
Self Reliance project is funded
in part by the European Agricultural fund for
European Development 2007-2013: Europe
Investing in Rural Areas.
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Apr 8th - Apr 13th Spring Family Week
with Dorothy, Anita and Roger
April 8th - 13th (Sunday - Friday)
Outdoor activities, songs, games, crafts, country walks and healthy homecooked meals: what a family holiday was meant to be. Don't wait too long to find out why this trio's family weeks book up so fast!
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
Apr 20th - Apr 22nd Marshwood Trails Walking Weekend I
with Martin Gershon of Marshwood Trails
April 20th - 22nd (Fri - Sun)
£215 residential, £145 non-residential, £165 camping
Spring is a wonderful time of year to reconnect with nature. This weekend, Martin will lead you in an exploration of both well loved as well as less well known but equally glorious corners of West Dorset. The walks have been carefully chosen so that you will experience a taste of the wide variety of landscapes and habitats close to Monkton Wyld.
The emphasis on the walks will be on the journey itself rather than the distance or the pace. There will be tales of Iron Age hill forts, pilgrims and smugglers and opportunities to sample local food. With any luck you'll get sightings of deer and badgers and there should be birdsong and wildflowers aplenty.
Guests may also book a massage during the weekend to help ease away the tension of the day, prevent stiffness and inflammation or simply as a relaxing treat. Massage therapist Jayne Doyle, having recently walked the Camino de Santiago, is well versed in the needs of the walking pilgrim! Sessions for back, leg or foot massage (or a combination) start from £20 for 30 minutes. Email Jayne directly <</span>info@jaynedoyle.com> to pre-book an appointment.
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
Apr 23rd - Apr 27th Low-Impact Dwelling Work Week I
Low-Impact Dwelling Work Week
I
with the MWC Community
April 23rd -
27th (Mon - Fri)
£150
- £50* residential, all-inclusive
What
better way to learn about low-impact living than
to take part in some building restoration? This
week includes discussion, slideshow, games,
activities, organic meals, good company, and of
course, the work. All on a sliding scale of £150
- £50 per week.
Click
here
to download
our course booking form and
instructions.
Contact us
to check availability.
*
Rates for
Work Weeks are determined on a sliding scale,
according to what guests feel they can afford to
pay
Apr 30th - May 4th Low-Impact Dwelling Work Week II
with the MWC Community
April 30th - May 4th (Mon - Fri)
£150 - £50* residential, all-inclusive
What better way to learn about low-impact living than to take part in some building restoration? This week includes discussion, slideshow, games, activities, organic meals, good company, and of course, the work.
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
* Rates for Work Weeks are determined on a sliding scale, according to what guests feel they can afford to pay
May 4th - May 6th Dowsing: an Introduction and Overview
with Alan Neal
May 4th - 6th (Fri - Sun)
£215 residential, £145 non-residential
This course concentrates initially on the acquiring of basic skills using a variety of instruments to find simple targets such as underground water, drains and foundations of buildings, as well as learning something of the history and background of the subject.
Dowsing is a many-faceted art and encompasses a variety of different areas, each one a specialist subject in itself. In this "overall view", once the basics have been mastered, students will be given as wide a perspective as possible of the subject as a whole so that they are fully aware of its many applications. Areas touched on will include the detection of dowsable energies other than water, including leys, fault lines and lines of geopathic stress, map dowsing, archaeological dowsing, and dowsing in connection with healing. The course will include as much practical work as possible.
Alan Neal is a well-known practitioner, lecturer and writer on dowsing. A member of the British Society of Dowsers, as well as a founder member of Tamar Dowsers, he runs courses throughout the South West in which a diverse range of dowsing related subjects are covered, including water-finding, archaeological dowsing and dowsing and healing. Alan is also a practising member of Unity Healers, which is affiliated to the Healer Practitioner Association International.
He has written two books: Dowsing in Devon and Cornwall, an easy to follow “how to” book, and Ley Lines of the South West, in which he relates how he traced and followed several of these mysterious phenomena across Cornwall, Devon and Somerset.
Alan firmly believes that far from being a talent bestowed on the select few, dowsing is a natural ability common to many of us – if we only have the will, and the faith in ourselves, to try.
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
May 18th - May 20th Introduction to Beekeeping
with David Wiscombe
May 18th - 20th (Fri - Sun)
£215 residential, £145 non-residential
Some subsidized spaces available for South West Dorset residents.*
This immensely popular residential course covers all the basics of starting up with bees, and takes you to the hives to try them out. Celebrated instructor David Wiscombe combines decades of experience with a healthy recognition that there's always more to learn in the ancient art of the apiarist.
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
* The Skills for Self Reliance project is funded in part by the European Agricultural fund for European Development 2007-2013: Europe Investing in Rural Areas.
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May 25th - May 27th Marshwood Trails Walking Weekend II
with Martin Gershon of Marshwood Trails
May 25th - 27th (Fri - Sun)
£215 residential, £145 non-residential, £165 camping
Spring is a wonderful time of year to reconnect with nature. This weekend, Martin will lead you in an exploration of both well loved as well as less well known but equally glorious corners of West Dorset. The walks have been carefully chosen so that you will experience a taste of the wide variety of landscapes and habitats close to Monkton Wyld.
The emphasis on the walks will be on the journey
itself rather than the distance or the pace.
There will be tales of Iron Age hill forts,
pilgrims and smugglers and opportunities to
sample local food. With any luck you'll get
sightings of deer and badgers and there should be
birdsong and wildflowers aplenty.
Guests
may also book a massage during the weekend to
help ease away the tension of the day, prevent
stiffness and inflammation or simply as a
relaxing treat. Massage therapist Jayne Doyle,
having recently walked the Camino de Santiago, is
well versed in the needs of the walking pilgrim!
Sessions for back, leg or foot massage (or a
combination) start from £20 for 30 minutes. Email
Jayne directly <</span>info@jaynedoyle.com>
to pre-book an appointment.
Click
here
to download
our course booking form and
instructions.
Contact us
to check availability.
May 29th - May 31st Introduction to Beekeeping
with David Wiscombe
May 29th - 31st (Tues - Thurs)
£215 residential, £145 non-residential
Some subsidized spaces available for South West Dorset residents.*
This immensely popular residential course covers all the basics of starting up with bees, and takes you to the hives to try them out. Celebrated instructor David Wiscombe combines decades of experience with a healthy recognition that there's always more to learn in the ancient art of the apiarist.
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
* The Skills for Self Reliance project is funded in part by the European Agricultural fund for European Development 2007-2013: Europe Investing in Rural Areas.
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Jun 1st - 5th Vijnana Yoga Retreat
Vijnana Yoga Retreat
with Elizabeth Short
June 1st – 5th
(over the double bank holiday weekend,
Friday evening to Tuesday lunchtime)
£275
Vijnana is a quiet, flowing style of yoga.
See vijnanayoga.org for more details.
In the mornings we will practise sitting and pranayama, have breakfast and then practise asanas. After lunch and a long break to enjoy the Dorsetshire countryside or the sea, there will be another class looking at asana technique in more detail and practising head and shoulder stand.
For further information and booking email Liz Short.
Jun 5th - Jun 10th The Good Life Family Week
with Chloe, Anya & Jyoti
June 5th - 10th (Tuesday to Sunday of half term)
£275 first adult / £245 second adult /
£175 ages 5 through 16 / £80 under-5's
Some concessions available.
Go back to the land this week with traditional crafts, gardening, music, songs, games, barnyard friends and meals around the bonfire. We’ll also enjoy a nature walk to the seashore to relax from our efforts.
Some of the likely activities include...
* milking the cow
* working with our oxen Red and Zeke
* cheese making
* fruit picking
* jam making
* salve making
* growing pumpkins
* clay oven pizzas with homemade mozzerella cheese and veg
* maybe stool making with David (subject to approval!)
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Jun 11th - Jun 15th Summer Garden Week
with the MWC Community Garden Team
June 11th - 15th (Mon - Fri)
£150 - £50* residential, all-inclusive
Work closely with the MWC gardeners in the Victorian walled garden, forest garden, other arable plots around the site and the management of the land. Experience a mix of traditional organic methods, biodynamics, permaculture and good common sense. Take part in specially designed projects and the work of the season. Suitable for all levels and styles of gardening enthusiast.
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
* Rates for Garden Weeks are determined on a sliding scale, according to what guests feel they can afford to pay
Jun 15th - 17th Kachelofen!
with James Curry
June 15th - 17th (Fri - Sun)
£215 residential, £145 non-residential
Some subsidized spaces available for South West Dorset residents.*
A weekend introduction to the theory and practice of indoor ceramic oven building for heating, baking and aesthetic delight.
More details to come!
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
* The Skills for Self Reliance project is funded in part by the European Agricultural fund for European Development 2007-2013: Europe Investing in Rural Areas.
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Jun 15th - Jun 17th Introduction to Beekeeping
with David Wiscombe
June 15th - 17th (Fri - Sun)
£215 residential, £145 non-residential
Some subsidized spaces available for South West Dorset residents.*
This immensely popular residential course covers all the basics of starting up with bees, and takes you to the hives to try them out. Celebrated instructor David Wiscombe combines decades of experience with a healthy recognition that there's always more to learn in the ancient art of the apiarist.
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
* The Skills for Self Reliance project is funded in part by the European Agricultural fund for European Development 2007-2013: Europe Investing in Rural Areas.
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Jun 29th - Jul 1st Early Summer Cycling Weekend
with Martin Gershon of Marshwood Trails
June 29th - July 1st (Fri - Sun)
£215 residential, £145 non-residential, £165 camping
There are few better ways to discover the countryside than on two wheels.
This weekend will allow you to explore the
delights on West Dorset, its changing landscapes,
vibrant history and delicious food. You will be
led by a knowledgeable, qualified guide who will
take you along traffic free routes to discover
this wonderful part of the country. The pace will
be gentle and although you will encounter some
hills along the way, your efforts will always be
rewarded with panoramic views. There will be an
option for reluctant cyclists to hire electric
bikes during your stay. An optional session on
bicycle maintenance will also be included in the
price of the weekend.
Click
here
to download
our course booking form and
instructions.
Contact us
to check availability.
Jul 13th - Jul 15th Scything & Grassland Management
with Simon Fairlie
£215 residential, £145 non-residential, £165 camping
Some subsidized spaces available for South West Dorset residents.*
From the course leader:
Beginners often imagine that a two day scything course is a bit excessive, just to learn how to use a garden tool; and that is true if all you want to do is knock down weeds. But anyone who wants to mow grass on any scale will benefit from a two day course, and people who do them come away saying: "I don't know how you could cram all that into one day".
Two days gives you enough time to prepare your own blade (rather than use the Blue Peter blades that I prepare in advance for the one-day course); you get more time to practice different peening methods; and I also demonstrate how to make and stack a hay rack, which enables you to make hay even in changeable weather.
The course covers
• history and sociology of the scythe, in the UK and abroad
• selecting the right blade and snath for the job (or making best use of what you've got):
• setting up a scythe and snath;
• peening with a jig, and and introduction to freehand peening with hammer and anvil;
• sharpening;
• mowing technique;
• how to avoid damaging the blade, and how to repair chips and cracks;
• managing grass with scything in mind;
• hay-making by hand;
• making and loading a hayrack.
Scythe importer and grass management enthusiast Simon Fairlie heads Chapter 7 of The Land is Ours and The Land magazine (among other things) from his stable block offices here at Monkton Wyld Court. Jyoti Fernandes of nearby Fivepenny Farm has worked with Simon for years on all of the above and recently set up the Peasant Evolution Producers' Co-op for area smallholders and supporters.
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
* The Skills for Self Reliance project is funded in part by the European Agricultural fund for European Development 2007-2013: Europe Investing in Rural Areas.
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Aug 2nd - Aug 12th Spanish-English Teen Exchange
with the MWC Community in association with Aveda
August 2nd - 12th (Thursday - Sunday)
£365 for ten days and nights with all on-site costs included
More details to come...
SPACES LIMITED!
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
Aug 13th - 18th Theatre Family Week
with Jacqui Kirkland
August 13th - 18th (Mon - Sat)
£275 first adult / £245 second adult /
£175 ages 5 through 16 / £80 under-5's
Some concessions available.
Develop your family's natural flair. This week of games, crafts, activities, improv and fun culminates in a once-in-a-lifetime performance: your own!
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
Aug 19th - Aug 24th Bushcraft Family Week
with Jonathon Huet of Walk With Trees
August 19th - 24th (Sun - Fri)
£275 first adult / £245 second adult /
£175 ages 5 through 16 / £80 under-5's
Some concessions available.
Jonathon is an accredited and experienced Bushcraft Instructor and has worked with all ages and types of groups. He loves to share his passion of the British countryside, and he delivers all his activities in a relaxed and accessible way.
Freedom, Fun and learning new skills for all the family
On this ideal site in the heart of Dorset’s countryside learn how to live and survive outdoors. Learn to carve, light your own fire (without matches), build your own shelter, collect your own water, cook over an open fire and learn about plants and trees through storytelling and guided walks.
All skills can be adapted to suit all ages and levels of experience and although most of the course will be outside there are the superb facilities of Monkton Wyld Court a stone’s throw away!
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The
kids loved the freedom, my husband loved the
carving, I loved the shelter building. Jonathon’s
facilitation was creative, flexible and sensitive
to people’s needs and abilities. The storytelling
added a bit of magic, and sleeping in our shelter
was the highlight. Thank you for our best
holidays with the kids yet.
Participant's
comment from previous bushcraft course
Click
here
to download our course booking form and
instructions.
Contact us
to check availability.
Sep 10th - Sep 14th Autumn Garden Week
with the MWC Community Garden Team
September 10th - 14th (Mon - Fri)
£150 - £50* residential, all-inclusive
Work closely with the MWC gardeners in the Victorian walled garden, forest garden, other arable plots around the site and the management of the land. Experience a mix of traditional organic methods, biodynamics, permaculture and good common sense. Take part in specially designed projects and the work of the season.
Suitable for all levels and styles of gardening enthusiast.
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
* Rates for Garden Weeks are determined on a sliding scale, according to what guests feel they can afford to pay
Aug 26th - Aug 31st Wyld Science Family Week
with the MWC Community
August 26th - 31st (Sun - Fri)
£275 first adult / £245 second adult /
£175 ages 5 through 16 / £80 under-5's
Some concessions available.
Outdoor science, Garden science, Fire science, Woodland science, Animal science, Night Sky science, Seashore science... So much to explore!
Join us in an exploration of the wonders of the natural world employing all five senses and of course a sense of fun. With songs, crafts, games and tasty food included.
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
Sep 7th - 9th Low Impact Photography
with Vicki Churchill
September 7th - 9th (Fri - Sun)
£215 residential, £145 non-residential, £165 camping
Some subsidized spaces available for South West Dorset residents.*
More details to come!
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
* The Skills for Self Reliance project is funded in part by the European Agricultural fund for European Development 2007-2013: Europe Investing in Rural Areas.
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Sep 7th - Sep 9th Scything and Grassland Management
with Simon Fairlie
£215 residential, £145 non-residential, £165 camping
Some subsidized spaces available for South West Dorset residents.*
From the course leader:
Beginners often imagine that a two day scything course is a bit excessive, just to learn how to use a garden tool; and that is true if all you want to do is knock down weeds. But anyone who wants to mow grass on any scale will benefit from a two day course, and people who do them come away saying: "I don't know how you could cram all that into one day".
Two days gives you enough time to prepare your own blade (rather than use the Blue Peter blades that I prepare in advance for the one-day course); you get more time to practice different peening methods; and I also demonstrate how to make and stack a hay rack, which enables you to make hay even in changeable weather.
The course covers
• history and sociology of the scythe, in the UK and abroad
• selecting the right blade and snath for the job (or making best use of what you've got):
• setting up a scythe and snath;
• peening with a jig, and and introduction to freehand peening with hammer and anvil;
• sharpening;
• mowing technique;
• how to avoid damaging the blade, and how to repair chips and cracks;
• managing grass with scything in mind;
• hay-making by hand;
• making and loading a hayrack.
Scythe importer and grass management enthusiast Simon Fairlie heads Chapter 7 of The Land is Ours and The Land magazine (among other things) from his stable block offices here at Monkton Wyld Court. Jyoti Fernandes of nearby Fivepenny Farm has worked with Simon for years on all of the above and recently set up the Peasant Evolution Producers' Co-op for area smallholders and supporters.
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
* The Skills for Self Reliance project is funded in part by the European Agricultural fund for European Development 2007-2013: Europe Investing in Rural Areas.
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Sep 14th - Sep 16th Ancient Sites Around Dorset
with Alan Neal
£215 residential, £145 non-residential, £165 camping
Some subsidized spaces available for South West Dorset residents.*
Explore Dorset’s ancient past using dowsing skills.
Dorset has a rich historical heritage, and marks left by its former inhabitants are everywhere to be seen. Ancient churches, holy wells and burial mounds dot the landscape, and crowning the hilltops are mighty fortresses left by the fearsome warriors of the Iron Age. But visually awe-inspiring though they may be, the awe they evoke is equally matched by a multitude of questions: Why were they constructed where they are? When were they built, and when were they finally abandoned? What rituals were enacted in or around them? How many people inhabited them? Where were their water supplies? Where did they bury their dead? These are just some of the questions to which the historian and the archaeologist are able to provide answers; but another method of investigation is there for us to use – dowsing.
Throughout this course we shall be visiting a series of selected sites encompassing a wide time scale, and exploring ways in which, with the use of this ancient art, we can increase our knowledge of the past and its peoples.
Alan Neal is a well-known practitioner, lecturer and writer on dowsing. A member of the British Society of Dowsers, as well as a founder member of Tamar Dowsers, he runs courses throughout the South West in which a diverse range of dowsing related subjects are covered, including water-finding, archaeological dowsing and dowsing and healing. Alan is also a practising member of Unity Healers, which is affiliated to the Healer Practitioner Association International.
He has written two books: Dowsing in Devon and Cornwall, an easy to follow “how to” book, and Ley Lines of the South West, in which he relates how he traced and followed several of these mysterious phenomena across Cornwall, Devon and Somerset.
Alan firmly believes that far from being a talent bestowed on the select few, dowsing is a natural ability common to many of us – if we only have the will, and the faith in ourselves, to try.
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
* The Skills for Self Reliance project is funded in part by the European Agricultural fund for European Development 2007-2013: Europe Investing in Rural Areas.
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Sep 30th Thirtieth Anniversary Open Day
with the MWC Community
Help us celebrate 30 years since the start of Monkton Wyld Court's intentional community with with pearlish humour.
More details to come!
Oct 29th - Nov 3rd Halloween Family Week
with Dorothy and Anita
October 29th - November 3rd (Mon - Sat)
£275 first adult / £245 second adult /
£175 ages 5 through 16 / £80 under-5's
Some concessions available.
Another happy week of singing and crafts and family adventures with Dorothy and Anita. Only this time, the ghosties come too!
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
Nov 17th Holiday Willow Weaving
with Norah Kennedy
November 17th (Saturday)
10:00am - 3:30pm
More details to come!
Start off the festive season with a treat for yourself and some friends, and fashion some lovely gifts into the bargain! Start a new hobby or refresh your skills with wreaths, angels and other winter holiday designs. All materials provided. You just bring your good self (and perhaps an apron).
See Norah's work here.
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
Dec 3rd - Dec 7th Winter Garden Week
with the MWC Community Garden Team
December 3rd - 7th (Mon - Fri)
£150 - £50* residential, all-inclusive
Work closely with the MWC gardeners in the Victorian walled garden, forest garden, other arable plots around the site and the management of the land. Experience a mix of traditional organic methods, biodynamics, permaculture and good common sense. Take part in specially designed projects and the work of the season.
Suitable for all levels and styles of gardening enthusiast.
Click here to download our course booking form and instructions.
Contact us to check availability.
* Rates for Garden Weeks are determined on a sliding scale, according to what guests feel they can afford to pay
Dec 23rd - 27th Christmas at the Court
with the MWC Community
December 23rd - 27th (Sun - Thurs)
Tariffs: £175 adult / £130 ages 5 - 16 / £35 under 5
Don't
let the holiday season leave you cold. Pack up
your loved ones, your happiest winter memories,
your mandolin and djembe and your granny's own
recipe for hot buttered rum and come and join us
around the fire for a quiet, no-fuss holiday at
the old rectory (and a no-holds-barred,
boat-pushed-out Christmas dinner feast, sure).
Mince pies, mistletoe and jigsaw puzzles
provided. Woolly jumpers warmly recommended.
Contributions to the gift exchange a must!
Please
note that this holiday is not a Family Week per
se. Details will be provided on request regarding
numbers of other families with young children
booked. Some single rooms available for a
supplementary tariff.
Click here
to download
our course booking form and
instructions.
Contact us
to check availability.
STILL TO COME! Build your own Geodesic Dome
A weekend in spring 2012
This is a new one for Monkton Wyld and we'll only run it if folk let us know they'd like it - so get in touch.
The weekend will involve the maths and construction for your own geodesic dome. If you're unfamiliar with geo domes, they are large tents that can be packed onto the top of a Mini Cooper and still give you enough head room to do indoor yoga. (They're also good conversation starters at festivals.) The course fee will include your own two-phase or three-phase geo dome frame so you'll need transport.
Contact us to let us know that you are interested!
STILL TO COME! Biodiversity Evening Event: Bats in the Belfry
with Jan Freeborn
from 6:30pm
£1 per person requested for craft activity participants
A family friendly bat evening including a batty crafts activity, a chance to learn about Monkton Wyld's special bats and how to discover more about them and, for those who want to stay out really late, the opportunity to put newly acquired bat detective skills into action. This event is run in partnership with the Dorset Bat Group's Bats in the Belfry project.
Organic evening meal and discounted accommodation available by prior arrangement with Monkton Wyld Court.
STILL TO COME! Biodynamic Gardening
an introduction to the practice
and philosophy
with Marina O'Connell
The course will introduce participants to the thinking and philosphy behind Biodynamc gardening in a simple and experiential way. We will make and use some of the preparations and study the Biodynamic calendar in preparation to start the next growing season using these techniques.
Marina O'Connell has 20 years experience of Biodynamic growing and has taught these methods at Otley Agricultural College in Suffolk and at The Apricot Centre in Essex. She runs a small organic fruit farm in the Stour Valley and the Apricot Centre on the farm, working in schools and running a wide range of courses on Sustainable living.
Contact us to be added to the waiting list for this course!
STILL TO COME Wassailing Event
during a January near you!
This ancient tradition of giving thanks and asking for continued abundance is visited anew with facilitator and singer Danu Fox. The weekend will incorporate old traditions and bring in new ones to celebrate the lands and beings of Monkton.
If you would like to join in, use your voice, sing the land, use your weaving, fire and cooking skills, build outdoor offerings, reflect and meditate on the old and the coming year, then this is for you.
Contact us to be added to the waiting list for this course!
STILL TO COME! Family Reiki Day
with Lizzie Hornby
Book for a day of fun and relaxation.
Come and learn the basics of Reiki Level 1 with emphasis on how to make the most of Reiki as a family. All the family can join in and children can come in and learn for as long as they wish while also being looked after and kept entertained if they choose to leave the main learning area for a time.
This one-day reiki workshop has been planned with childcare, open space and family rates available to make it as inclusive as possible. Come and share the benefits of reiki with family members of all ages.
Contact us to be added to the waiting list for this course! Email Lizzie directly or phone her on 01308 424084 for more details.
STILL TO COME! Coastal Walk for Foragers
with Tasha & Patch
£35 including a homemade packed lunch
10% discount available on B&B for course participants
This one-day workshop is aimed at enthusiastic walkers to follow a route along the local coastline, as your charming guides introduce the local flora: the good, the bad, and the tasty.
Some concessions available for South West Dorset residents.
Contact us to be added to the waiting list for this course!
STILL TO COME! Firebird Trance-Dance
with Leo Rutherford
From the Course Leader:
Firebird Trance is Afro-Brazilian Dance Medicine Magic. It is a unique path into healing and alternate reality. Through the glorious wild abandon and seeming chaos of the Trance-Dance, a new sense of Self and connection with the Universal Order can be realised. Trance-Dance is an ancient healing tradition, as old as humanity.
The Dance takes us naturally and effortlessly from thinking to being, melting into oneness with existence. The Rhythm of the Drum - the heartbeat of Mother Earth - guides the dancer to the magic healing place of deep trance. By inviting Spirit to dance through us, we come to a place of ease with our true nature and can experience the world through the lens of ecstasy, perceiving ourself as part of the Universal Playful Being enjoying The Cosmic Dance.
This form of Trance-Dance is derived from the traditions of West Africa and the Afro-Brazilian cultures, specifically the Candomble and Umbanda, and also the Gnawa Moroccan tradition, all of which have their roots in West Africa. In the background is the unique dancing way of Gabrielle Roth.
This workshop will move you profoundly towards the truth of yourself and your life. The Trance-Dance is a magical catalyst for all sorts to happen and patterns to shift. It enables you to sweep away confusion and delusion and to penetrate to the heart of yourself and to connect with your soul’s divine purpose.
Contact us to be added to the waiting list for this course!
For more information on Leo and his work, visit the Eagle's Wing website.
STILL TO COME! Homemade Wines & Hedgerow Treats
with Tasha & Patch
£35 including organic homemade lunch
10% discount available on B&B for course participants
Experienced and enthusiastic wild foodies Tasha and Patch join us from Tinkers Bubble to introduce the tastiest treats of the English summertime: perfect timing for hedgerow salads, wines and cordials! With lots of outdoor learning and plenty of samples to share.
Some concessions available for South West Dorset residents.
Contact us to be added to the waiting list for this course!
STILL TO COME! Sacred Drumming
with Doug Blacksmith
For millennia the drum has accompanied humans through daily life and our most sacred moments, carrying us into states of ecstasy, trance and healing. Creating a ceremonial and ritual space, inviting the helping spirits, experiencing the power of the drum, letting go, healing, exploring, feeling the pulse. Drumming is a spiritual experience, being with the rhythm of nature. Celebrate the sacred drummer in all of us. I will teach traditional rhythms of Guinea and Mali, along with the history and the cultural context for each piece and the ethnic grouping the music comes from. All levels welcome. Please bring a drum if you have one.
Doug has drummed for ritual, ceremonial and shamanic events for many years.
Contact us to be added to the waiting list for this course!
The Court feels so much nicer than a more formal venue, lived in and comfortable with artistic and original touches. The bed was comfortable, food fantastic.
Thanks very much - I hope to come again.
Guest's feedback, 2011