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Beginners Pole Lathe Turning
20 September 2025 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
This event has sold out. If you would like to be notified when new woodworking courses are available, send us your details on friends@horsenden.org
Join experienced green woodworker and guest course leader, Ali Asadi, for this fantastic experience at our new woodland workshop at Horsenden Farm.
You will be turning your own bowl on a historic foot-powered pole lathe. This is a full day course, giving you plenty of time to develop and practice new skills. The main focus of the workshop is on process and safe technique, and by the end of the day the aim is for you to turn a bowl to take home with you.
Throughout the day, tea, coffee, and biscuits will be provided. For lunch, attendees are welcome to bring their own packed meal or purchase something delicious from our very own on-site bakery, The Horsenden Loaf.
Please contact us in advance if you wish to buy lunch, plus any dietetic requirements so we can organise that for you.
Course start and finish times, along with further information, will be confirmed closer to the day of the course.
What you will learn
The workshop will focus specifically on the following areas:
- Suitable British wood for bowl turning
- Selecting appropriate sections of a log for bowl turning
- Roughing out a bowl ‘blank’ using an axe
- Safe and effective axe technique
- Mounting the blank on the lathe ready for turning
- Using hand-forged hook tools to turn your first bowl
- Trimming up, with instructions on drying and finishing your bowl
Please note. This can be quite a physically demanding workshop, so a reasonable level of fitness is required to make sure you get the most out of the day.
About the course leader
Ali Asadi carved his first spoon in 2015 and fell in love with both the process and the techniques of green woodworking. Following lots of self-practice, attending community carving events and learning opportunities, Ali was lucky enough to spend some time with pole lathe bowl turners Sharif Adams and Adrian Lloyd, both well-respected amongst the craft community.
Ever since, Ali has been turning and carving non-stop, producing hundreds of bowls, end-grain cups, and more specialist items including locking lidded boxes, nested bowls, as well as his beautiful plates.
Over the last 5 years, Ali has been forging his own turning tools, teaching courses in all things greenwood, and undertaking demonstrations to communicate the craft to the public at events nationwide and at his own workshop in Stevenage.
Accessibility, details, Ts and Cs
The woodland workshop is accessed via an uneven woodchipped path. Parking and toilets are available on the farm site, a few minutes walk from the woodland workshop.
The woodland workshop is open-sided but covered by a roof so courses will go ahead in the event of rain. Please come dressed appropriately for the weather.
If you need further information before booking please drop us a line on friends@horsenden.org
Course Cancellation Policy
Our courses are led by dedicated craftspeople. To ensure they are fairly compensated for the time, preparation, and materials they commit to each course, we have established the following cancellation policy. We believe it is a fair approach that respects both our attendees and our talented tutors.
This policy applies to all course bookings.
Cancellation by You
To request a cancellation, you must notify us in writing via email. The refund amount is determined by the date your cancellation notice is received.
Full Refund: Cancellations received more than 3 weeks (21 days) before the scheduled course start date will receive a 100% refund.
Partial Refund: Cancellations received between 2 and 3 weeks (14-21 days) before the scheduled course start date will receive a 50% refund.
No Refund: Cancellations received less than 2 weeks (fewer than 14 days) before the scheduled course start date are not eligible for a refund. This is because at this late stage it is very difficult to fill the vacant spot, and we have already committed to our tutors.
Attendee Substitutions
If you are unable to attend the course, you are welcome to find a substitute to take your place at any time before the course begins. To do this, please inform us of the new attendee’s name and contact details via friends@horsenden.org . Once the substitute attendee has completed their booking and payment, we will process a 100% refund of your original course fee.
Cancellation by Us
In the unlikely event that we need to cancel a course due to unforeseen circumstances; we will provide you with as much notice as possible. You will be offered the choice of either:
- A full 100% refund of your course fee.
- A transfer to an alternative course date of your choosing, subject to availability.
Thank you for your understanding and for supporting our craftspeople.