Students from a Denbighshire special school have been building traditional wooden garden furniture for one of Wales’s most historic properties.
The 16 to 19-year-olds from Ysgol Tir Morfa in Rhyl have been learning woodland craft skills to make seats from oak and hazel hurdles for 15th century Nantclwyd y Dre, in Ruthin.
They have been taking part in weekly sessions at Bodfari Woodland Skills funded by Llwyddo’n Lleol – Succeeding Locally – which is funded by the Welsh Government’s European Social Fund to help young people across Conwy and Denbighshire develop their career paths.
The project has seen them research designs for medieval furniture for the garden at Nantclwyd y Dre and develop woodcraft skills to make seats from oak as well as harvesting hazel wands from coppiced trees to make traditional hurdles.
The furniture will be used in a 15th century Lord’s Garden which is being restored as part of the Heritage Lottery funded project at the property in Ruthin’s Castle Street. The garden restoration will be completed in August 2015.
The weekly sessions at Bodfari Woodland Skills have also given students at Ysgol Tir Morfa the chance to develop a range of workplace skills and Post 16 Class Teacher Simon Matthews, from Denbigh, said: “It’s been a brilliant opportunity for them and we’re very grateful to Llwyddo’n Lleol for making it possible.
“It’s been about giving them as many opportunities as possible to gain work skills and experience and that gives them greater confidence as well.
“Not everyone wants to work outside in the cold and rain but it does suit some people and this gives them the chance to find out what it’s like and whether it’s for them.
“The weekly sessions here at Bodfari have given them the skills to create prototype furniture for Nantclwyd y Dre and the final choices will be made soon and work will start on making them in September.”
The skills visits have been supervised by Helen Waterfield, Tutor at Bodfari Woodland Skills, and Volunteer Caroleann McCallion who worked with two small groups of students from the school.
They have learned how to coppice – cutting the shoots from the tree stump – and when to do it and how to use coppiced hazel rods to weave into hurdles as well as how to use and maintain the tools needed for the work.
Caroleann McCallion said: “The students have learnt a lot of important skills, not just how to use the tools and how to coppice but also skills like communication, teamwork, numeracy, how to research and health and safety too.
“It’s important when you’re handling lengths of wood that you look out for where other people are as well.”
Dean Hamilton, 16, from Kinmel Bay, said: “It’s been very good and I’ve really enjoyed the work, especially cutting down the trees and using saws and other tools because I’d like to work outdoors.
“We’ve made benches and hurdles and used various types of saws and sanders, including power sanders, to it’s been important to wear proper protective gear.”
Alisha Jones, 17, of St Asaph, said the hazel hurdles were quite difficult at first: “Once you get used to it it’s easier but you do have to be quite strong to be able to weave them through and bind them in.
“You learn to scratch the hazel rods and if they’re green then they’re still living and you can bend them more easily.”
Simon Matthews said that Komalie Knight, 17, of Dyserth, had shown good leadership skills and she said: “I enjoyed telling people what to do and making sure it was right. The hardest part with the hurdles was getting the tops on.”
Jenni Edwards, Llwyddo’n Lleol Project Officer for Conwy and Denbighshire, said: “It is so important in North Wales that we help build a future for our young people of all abilities and increase their skills.
“The woodland skills course has been very good for them because they have developed their workplace and social skills which will help them go on into further education and the world of work.
“It’s been very successful and the students have loved it and they will be able to see their work on display at a prestigious site like Nantclwyd y Dre which attracts thousands of visitors.
“Through Llwyddo’n Lleol we’re able to give them the opportunity to work with local business like Bodfari Woodland Skills who can pass on their experience and help inspire our students because it is vital that we build a strong and skilled workforce because that will create a vibrant economy for the region.”
