SHAPE ROOT, BARK & BRANCH THE STONE AGE WAY
Step into the world of our ancestors and discover the ancient skills of weaving, fibre preparation, and crafting functional traps from natural materials. This hands-on one-day course explores some of the earliest technologies developed by hunter-gatherer cultures, skills that allowed people to gather food, carry resources, store goods, and live in harmony with the natural world.
Set within the historically rich landscape of Park In The Past, this course introduces you to the techniques used to create fish and crab traps suitable for both inland and coastal environments. Guided by primitive skills instructor Billy Souter, you’ll explore traditional basketry methods, experiment with natural fibres, and craft your own woven creation using skills as relevant today as they were thousands of years ago.
Ideal for both beginners and returning bushcraft practitioners, this course offers an opportunity to reconnect with the landscape through slow, mindful craft. You’ll develop confidence in using simple tools, working with plant roots and bark, and understanding how material selection shapes the form and function of traditional woven traps and containers.
Billy shares his thoughts on this enduring craft:
“Weaving is one of the oldest and most universal skills. Whether you’re crafting a trap, a container, or a carrying system, you’re working directly with nature’s materials, feeling how they bend, twist, and respond. Preparing fibres and weaving them into something useful links us with the daily life of our ancestors in a deeply satisfying way. These are humble skills, but full of ingenuity and beauty.”
By the end of the day, you’ll leave with your own woven fish or crab trap and the confidence to continue exploring fibre crafts, basketry, and primitive weaving techniques in your own time.
ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:
* Discover how our ancestors created traps, containers, and storage systems using natural fibres and simple tools.
* Learn how to identify and select the right materials; spruce roots, flexible shoots, plant fibres, & bark strips.
* Prepare natural fibres for weaving, including root splitting, soaking, and plant processing techniques.
* Develop core weaving, shaping, and lashing skills used in traditional basketry and trap building.
* Understand environmental considerations and effective techniques for setting traps in inland and coastal waters.
* Practise carving and knife skills essential for trap construction and fibre preparation.
* Experience primitive cooking techniques as the group prepares and shares fresh fish cooked over the campfire.
* Deepen your understanding of the cultural and historical significance of woven crafts.
BOOKING
Get in touch if you’d like to know more. Phone James, 07876 794 098 or email us. Advance booking is essential. Tickets are available on our website:
https://woodlandclassroom.com/event/primitive-skills-weaving-trap-making/
The course costs £70.00 for an adult.
If you would like to upgrade your experience into a whole weekend then you could also book on to the next day's course Primitive Skills: Weaving, Fish Traps & Basketry - see our website for more info.
ABOUT YOUR TUTOR
Billy Souter is the founder of Billy Souter Primitive Living based in Derbyshire.
“My passion for Bushcraft came to life in my mid teens and quickly led me venturing down the path of primitive living skills.”
“Having found my passion and decided I wanted to expand my knowledge and pass these skills on to others. Since this time I have trained with various incredible teachers within this field and have used these skills in different environments including Scandinavia, Europe and North America.”
“In recent years I have developed and provided engaging Bushcraft sessions at an Outdoor Centre and Public workshop events for Children, SEN groups, Adults and training to forest school providers. I now also work as a Guest Instructor for established schools and individuals teaching Primitive Living Skills.”
ABOUT THE VENUE
Park In The Past comprises 120 acres of outstanding natural beauty offering woodlands and wetlands, a magnificent 35-acre lake and the gorgeous River Alyn winding through it, as well as wonderful walks and spacious fields. Visitors can journey back 2,000 years and discover the recreated Roman Fort Build, an ongoing project in experimental archaeology and the only one of its kind in the UK.
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