Bushcraft & ancestral skills in ancient Kent woodland

Gary and Nicola have run Jack Raven Bushcraft since 2011 in 35 acres of private ancient broadleaf woodland near Westwell, inside the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It sits roughly 50 miles from London.

Most courses are capped at eight people, which is the number that decides whether you spend the day practising or watching someone else practise. The programme runs from single-day fundamentals up through five-day intensives on ancestral skills such as flint knapping, bark containers, net making, bone tools and primitive fishing kits. Alongside those sit their one-day craft workshops (spoon carving, leather working, basket weaving, pottery, pole lathing, willow weaving), weekend courses (Wayfarer's Weekend, Bow Making, Nordic Crafts) and one-to-one training.

Everything is entirely hands-on and complete beginners are the norm rather than the exception. Woodland conservation is built into the operation rather than mentioned and moved past: active coppicing, ride maintenance, replanting.