Learn
Stanwick Lakes has a wide variety of art and craft events throughout the year, whether you want to learn a new skill, brush up on an old one or be inspired by the talents of others. The Visitor Centre’s diverse spaces accommodate all sorts of arts events and the natural light that streams through the windows is one of the things that attracts regular groups.
The site is run by Rockingham Forest Trust as a social enterprise and any income made from Art and Craft events held at Stanwick Lakes is reinvested into the crafts programme and used for maintaining the site as a nature reserve and countryside attraction. Arts and Crafts events are kept at a low cost, to enable as many people as possible to have a go and be introduced to a new skill.
Our arts and craft offerings range from mixed media and print making, through to embroidery and silver jewellery. Some of our resident tutors offer monthly workshops you can return to each month, to build your skills and learn and bond with fellow students. Others are one and two day workshops, to offer a taster of a new skill or hobby.
Heritage Skills
If you’re interested in Traditional Crafts, and would like to learn some of the skills involved, take a look at the Traditional Crafts Courses we offer in our green oak craft barn at Stanwick Lakes, Northamptonshire. We offer a range of craft courses once practised in the area, including Blacksmithing, Willow weaving, Wood carving and Stained Glass workshops.
Almost all of our Craft courses are limited to between 4 and 8 people, ensuring that everyone is given plenty of individual support, enjoys their day and leaves with a sense of achievement. We believe that if you’ve had a great experience with high quality training then you might want to come back again!
Ranger-led Learning
Teacher or community group leader?
We also offer nature engagement sessions designed to help young people discover more about the wildlife on the site and connect with nature. To see the ranger-led nature engagement activities that you can arrange with us, take a look at our educational booklet for schools and community groups.
Craft Cafe
Our weekly Craft Café is a weekday drop-in session and a great way for adults to try a new craft and to meet other crafters. The Café usually takes place on Mondays and Wednesdays (but not in the school holidays) between 10.00am and 12.00pm in the visitor centre. These sessions are free, everyone brings their own projects in with them and this collaborative and friendly group just spend time together chatting and exchanging thoughts on crafting projects. Standard car parking charges apply for this group.