The build at Minstead is now finished, a big thank you to all involved.

We are five weeks into the build at Minstead education centre, with increasing volunteer input the purlins are nearly in place thatching and daubing will soon be underway. Follow capablebrown on Instagram for daily updates.

Conygar coppice is still trading pretty much as normal through the crisis, I have followed government guidelines reducing my travel to three days a week by moving my hurdle making home. I rarely see people in the woods so its the perfect form of social distancing

I am still making the occasional delivery of pea sticks and bean poles so get your orders in quick.

Finally finished an order for 35, 4ft hurdles, with a little help from Pete Moors and David Ewers. A big thank you Guys. Not a good idea injuring yourself half way through the season especially such a wet one.

On the way out of the woods truck tyre wall sliced ! I had jack left in garage after fixing trailer had to call the RAC and wait two days for the tyre to arrive.

Delivered now and paid Hoorah !

In April this year we begin work on a rebuild of the iron age roundhouse at Minstead Education centre in the new forest. This is a six meter diameter roundhouse with porch.

Please follow our progress on here or on Instagram @Capableant.

In the May / June we will need volunteers to help with elements of the build.

I must start with and apology recently I have been putting most of my updates on instagram / facebook, this site has been a little neglected.

Back in July I finally finished work on the iron age roundhouse at Dudsbury Guide site. I do need to do something about the doors which were inherited.  The guides are really happy with the structure and are looking forward to getting there oven going.

Getting there with the roof at Dudsbury Guide camp. the original building was constructed by the guides with guidance from another builder. Unfortunately it fell down soon after as the roof was under engineered and the pitch too low. So much work went into the build that we felt we wanted to retain the walls. The roof is self supporting with an internal chestnut frame . The walls can be replaced at a later date if required. I also used as much of the old straw thatch at the top of the roof which likewise will need to ultimately be replaced and reduced the materials cost significantly. Not happy with the existing doors would like to do something with them when their budget allows.

Its been a while since I last posted a blog, so time for an update. A time hop note on FB has prompted me to share my work from last year.

This seems such a long time ago.

My last post was back in February after finishing some fencing panels, so I thought it would be a good idea to share some of the work I have completed in the mean time.

So what follows is a short video of highlights from the last 4 months

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Cath Abbott at Cradle to grave  has installed her hurdles

I have been supplying various people with materials for garden projects and education providers including Jonny Tidd at the Wild earth project for bow making, and made two ash handles for Yordan Borukov of Dorset herbs and essences 

Scout camp Butchers coppice in May had me teaching fire making again.

Dudsbury Guide camps roundhouse needed some pretty major repairs, the volunteers had put a lot of work into the original structure on the site. It was decided that we would try to retain the walls of the original build. A self supporting roof has been constructed over these walls and is being thatched at present.

In May I delivered my last Forest schools session at Clayesmore as they have employed a new staff member who is forest school trained, this was always the plan from the start. I would like to thank all the staff at Clayesmore for a wonderful 5 years and for the support they have given me recently.

In the first week of June a group of us competed in the Blenheim Triathlon, unfortunately I didn’t beat my time from last year, but we managed to raise an impressive £11.000 for Bloodwise winning an award for the best group fundraising effort.

I have nearly completed an outdoor shelter at Carymoor environment centre and at the moment I am working on an outdoor oven.