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COURSES AND TUITION 2025

Basic Outdoor Handtools: Use and Maintenance

A weekend course for the novice: scroll down for information

Individual Scythe Tuition

Personal tuition at Fairhill Farm, Pound Lane Bridford EX6 7LQ, with Simon Fairlie or Jon Hill

£30 for one hour: basic scything
£50 for two hours: including peening

Contact Simon on chapter7@tlio.org.uk and scythes@myphone.coop or Jon on 07778898031

One or Two-day Scythe Courses in the Teign Valley, Devon

Including grassland management and haymaking.

At Fairhill Farm, Pound Lane Bridford EX6 7LQ

24-25 May 2025
26-27 July 2025

Tutors: Simon Fairlie and Jon Hill. Price £84 per day including VAT.

Attending both days is recommended, but you can attend just the first day if you are a complete beginner or just the second day if you have already acquired the basics.

Beginners often imagine that a two day 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. Two days gives you enough time to practice different peening methods; we also spend a couple of hours on grass management, and demonstrate how to make and stack a hay rack, which enables you to make hay even in changeable weather.

Saturday: Basics
• selecting the right blade and snath for the job:
• setting up a scythe and snath;
• health and safety
• sharpening;
• basic mowing technique for grass and weeds
• how to avoid damaging the blade, and how to repair chips and cracks;
• peening demonstration.

Sunday: Improvement
• meadow mowing;
• managing grass with scything in mind;
• small-scale haymaking techniques;
• peening practice with jig and bar peen anvil.

You can bring your own scythe, but we supply fully sharpened scythes for you to use on the course. We also have a comprehensive range of Austrian scythes and ancillary equipment for sale.
Lunch is included. Free camping is available, or ther is Band B and woodland cabin accommodation available nearby.

Scroll down for photographs of previous courses.

To book a place or for more information: chapter7@tlio.org.uk and scythes@myphone.coop; 0777 889 8031

Basic Outdoor Handtools Use and Maintenance

A three day course for the novice 12-14 September 2025

with Kevin Austin and Simon Fairlie

Kevin was for many years head groundsman at the Eden Project in Cornwall

Provisional programme

12 September: scything meadows, weeds etc and scrub clearance with other tools;

13 September: peening scythe blades; haymaking; garden and arable tools (including hoes, mattocks, wheeled tools, seed fiddles etc); fencing.

14 September: woodland work and hedging; gate-making; ropes, hoists and winches; repairing handles and more.

The first of these courses was held in September 2023 and was very successful.

The course is open to all reasonably fit adults. Youngsters over the age of 12 are welcome, provided that they actively want to do the course and are not being pressured into it.

Attendance at only two days is possible. Lunch provided. Camping available. Band B or woodland cabin accommodation available nearby.

Cost £256 including VAT for three days. For more information, email scythes@myphone.coop

 

 

 

Other Scythe Courses

There are several other scythe teachers based all around the country. You can find out their details at http://scytheassociation.org/courses/ There are also courses at the West Country Scythe Fair in June, see: https://www.greenfair.org.uk

E-Mail List

Colin Close now sends out The Scythe Association's newsletter, The Windrow, which lists scything events, courses and developments in the UK. It comes out once a year. To get on the list to receive an emailed pdf of The Windrow, please e-mail itchka(at)compuserve.com

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