COURSE INFORMATION
General Course Info:
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Address - Moors Meadow Gardens, Collington, Bromyard HR7 4LZ
The course takes place over two days and we'll be kicking off at 9am both mornings, aiming to finish between 4 - 5pm (depending on the number of course participants, and how effectively everyone works).
The course fee includes lunch (let me know if you have any dietary requirements), materials to complete your knife from start to finish, and two full days teaching at the forge. You can also bring your own wood/materials if you would like to include something special for your handle, but no random bits of metal please! If you don't know what it is, and I don't know what it is, chances are it wont make for a good chefs knife!
We take safety very seriously (we like our fingers a lot and want to keep them) however a little nick or two is pretty much unavoidable so this means over 16's only please (accompanied by an adult) and over 18's if you're coming on your own.
Knife making is hard work - please expect the odd blister/burn and maybe even a cut if your blade is sharp enough!
We'll provide all the PPE you need, just wear sturdy shoes or boots, ideally steel toecaps and clothes you don't mind getting dirty. Long sleeve shirts and jeans are never a bad idea, and try to avoid wearing polyester or anything especially flammable.
If you'd like to have a look around the Moors Meadow Gardens themselves while on a course, then Ros, our landlady, extends her curtesy to you and you can view them for free. Otherwise its an £8 fee on the door for any other guests and/or relatives. Ros curates an amazing garden full of unusual species of plant life. We're very grateful and respectful of our environment and we hope our guests will be too.
Directions:
We recommend driving, as public transport to Bromyard is extremely limited, and the workshop is even more rural still.
The course is held at the forge, which is located at Moors Meadow Gardens in Collington, just outside of Bromyard in the county of Herefordshire. The place is easy to find, if you enter the postcode a sat-nav will take you pretty much to the door.
You will see a yellow sign for Moors Meadow Gardens from the main road, where you turn down the lane. Continue down the lane until it splits, if the weathers good you'll get a great view across the valley, bearing right to take you downhill and to the forge. There's also a couple of very faded yellow arrows pointing you in the right direction, props to you if you spot them! There’s parking for a few cars just in front of the forge workshop.
It's worth bearing in mind that the lane becomes harder to navigate during the winter. It's quite steep in places and can get very muddy/frozen. Low slung cars are better in the summer.
Accommodation:
Ros always recommends the Falcon Hotel in Bromyard itself, but there's loads of places on AirBNB in and around Bromyard if you're looking for somewhere more private.
Farmer Tom, Ros's next-door neighbour and friend, has recently set up a small lodge, called Spring Barn, with a spectacular view across the valley literally a couple minutes walk from the workshop. You can contact him at springbarn2023@outlook.com
If camping/caravanning is your jam, then The Rock Caravan Park is 5 minutes drive from the forge itself and just outside Bromyard.
If you're making a trip of it and planning on trying out Hereford's amazing food scene then staying in Hereford and driving in is your best bet. Castle House hotel and Aylestone court hotel are both lovely with good locations. Aylestone Hill in Hereford itself is also covered in B&Bs, so you should be spoilt for choice.
If you want a spot by the river Wye in Hereford though, then East Friars B&B on Greyfriars Avenue near the Rowing Club comes highly recommended.
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As for food, there are several great independent restaurants in the centre of Hereford and we know they are run by passionate, ethical people. Beefy Boys does a super dirty award winning burger, while EN sushi, The Yard and the Cosy club are all excellent picks.
Otherwise, Legges of Bromyard is the place to pick up a bucket load of bacon for breakfast on your way to the workshop. Can't recommend it highly enough.
If you're looking for a pint by the river, then De Koffie Pot is the place for you, while the best beer garden in Hereford probably belongs to The Barrels. Hereford does a lot of cider, so we recommend checking out The Beer in Hand if you're after some local 8 percenters that'll put Henry Westerns to shame, while The Beer House has the best selection of craft lagers, lambics, ales and European brews in Hereford.
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Looking forward to having you out in the workshop with us, cya soon!
Jack