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Willow Weaving Workshops: Boat Tray 2025
Key details
When:
Date:
Time:
3rd May
09:30 - 12:30
3rd May
13:30 - 16:30
Where:
The Meadow Room, behind Blackthorpe Barn
Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
SatNav: IP30 9HZ
Pricing:
Ticket
per person £48
Each person attending requires a ticket
Bookings close on 29th April
Half-Day Woven Willow Boat-shaped Tray Workshops
Come and join Stuart Fidler and Emma Booth – the Coddiwomplers – for a fun, relaxed willow weaving workshop.
What will I do?
- Under the tuition of two experienced willow-weavers, you will learn to make a woven willow boat tray using traditional basketry techniques and a range of willow varieties.
- This project gives great scope for using the different bark colours to create stripes.
- Also known as a banana tray, it can be used for fruit, or as a decorative item.
Who is this workshop suitable for?
- People aged 16 and over
- Beginners; no experience necessary
- Some manual dexterity and strength is required for weaving the willow
Important information
Gallery
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how it works
01
Come to Blackthorpe Barn and park in one of the free car parks
02
Make your way to the Meadow Room, behind Roots Café
03
Enjoy making your boat tray and take it home, feeling proud at what you have achieved
04
Browse around the Garden Room shop or have a coffee at Roots Café
What to bring
- Wear comfortable clothing
- Secateurs, if you have some
What is provided
- All materials
- Tea, coffee and biscuits
Refund & cancellation policy
If you need to cancel a workshop
If you are unable to attend your booked workshop and notify us at least 7 full days in advance of the workshop date, we can offer a refund or a transfer to the same workshop on an alternative date, providing there are places available or a course is planned for the future.
If cancellation is within 7 full days of your workshop unfortunately we are unable to offer a refund. We do appreciate that sometimes unforeseen circumstances may mean that you can’t attend so we are happy for you to send along a friend to take your place. We will need their name and contact details prior to the workshop.
Our right to cancel a workshop
All our workshops have a minimum attendance level and may be cancelled if too few bookings are received. We reserve the right to cancel or postpone workshops at any time. Should we need to cancel a workshop, we will give you as much notice as possible of the cancellation. You will receive a full refund or, if you prefer, a transfer to an alternative available course, space permitting. Unfortunately, we cannot accept any liability for travel or other costs.
Where to find us
Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham,
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
SatNav: IP30 9HZ
There is plenty of free parking available.
Accessible parking is available near the entrance to the Café/Shop area.
Blackthorpe Barn is situated just south of Junction 45 of the A14, three miles east of Bury St Edmunds, in the village of Rougham.
Look out for the entrance gates to a long tree-lined avenue at the White House junction, with the Barn on the right of the avenue.
Blackthorpe Barn’s black and white signs direct visitors from local roads.
The Meadow Room can be found behind the old thatched Barn and behind Roots Café.
What3Words for the Meadow Room: hands.dunk.drums
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We’re 5 weeks into the rethatching of Blackthorpe Barn already!
Climbing up and down the ladders high above the courtyard, @dodsonbrosthatchers are continuing their amazing work, carefully layering bundles of straw entirely by hand.
Thatching is a craft that has been used to protect buildings for thousands of years. A finished thatched roof can be around 30–40cm thick, providing wonderful natural insulation and helping to keep buildings cool in summer and warm in winter.
But did you know that the part of the thatch that actually sheds the rainwater is surprisingly thin? It is, in fact, the steepness of the slope of the roof that is critical for the rain to simply run down quickly, dropping from one stalk of thatch to the next. The water only has time to penetrate about 2-5cm into the roof, meaning that most of the layers stay dry, even in heavy downpours.
It’s remarkable to watch such a traditional skill in action especially, for a change, while the sun was shining. Let’s hope we get more good weather through March!
#roughamestate #thatching #mastercraftsman #burystedmunds
In case you missed our special this week, there’s still a few days to enjoy this delicious veggie dish.
Our homemade falafel with babaganoush, rocket, beef tomato and pickled red cabbage served in all in a toasted ciabatta roll is a perfect brunch option on any day of the week.
Roots cafe is open every day 9am til 4pm, including bank holidays.
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We’re recruiting for a part-time Barista at Roots Café…
If you are looking for a part-time role that offers a friendly environment in a beautiful rural setting, we are hiring. Located just outside Bury St. Edmunds, the role involves crafting quality coffee and providing excellent service to our visitors.
We are looking for someone with at least one year of Barista experience who is reliable and takes pride in their work. In return, we offer competitive rates, employee discounts and a supportive team culture in one of the most scenic locations in the area.
If you are interested in joining a friendly team and spending some time weekends at the Estate, we would love to hear from you. Visit www.roughamestate.com/welcome for more information. Link in bio.
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A gentle reminder that your reset doesn’t book itself.
Our next Reset Retreat at Rougham Estate is nearly here, and spaces are already filling for our March dates.
Across one carefully curated day in the Suffolk countryside, you’ll step away from the noise and into a rhythm designed to help you properly switch off, from woodland walks and restorative yoga to wood-fired sauna sessions, cold water plunging, sound bathing and a seasonal lunch made to nourish and restore.
Guests from our first retreat left feeling lighter, calmer and already asking when they could come back - which tells us everything we hoped Reset would be.
If you’ve been meaning to take a day for yourself, now is the moment to secure your place.
Friday 20th & Saturday 21st March
£95 per head.
Limited spaces remaining. Book now to avoid disappointment. Link to book is in the bio.
Our seasonal special for March…
Cornish mussels are in peak season, cooked in a spicy ’nduja and white wine sauce, finished with bold salsa verde for a sharp, fresh hit.
This delicious dish will only be available from Monday 9th March until Sunday 29th March so don’t miss out!
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Isn’t the Barn looking amazing already?
Four weeks into the rethatching of Blackthorpe Barn, the transformation is becoming beautifully visible. Skilled thatchers @dodsonbrosthatchers are patiently working their way across the roof, with some hair-raising climbs, layering and shaping the natural materials entirely by hand as you can see here.
@thecleftwoodcompany has delivered cleft oak battens to replace the rotten parts that were recently uncovered (see the Week 3 update). These battens are split along the grain to provide superior strength and longevity.
We are grateful to these skilled craftsmen who use traditional methods to maintain and protect rural buildings like our Barn, preserving it for years to come.
Keep your eyes peeled for the next exciting update!
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The weather is changing and so is the shop!
Have you visited us yet? If not, it’s worth a trip. Whether you’re looking for a gift or simply to treat yourself, we’re open 7 days a week.
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Our latest reel gives you a glimpse of some of our favourites, with a special focus on dried flowers, delicate paper blooms, beautiful vases and cards to make your gift extra personal. These are gifts that last far beyond the day itself with no wilting, just simple, lasting beauty for the home.
You can choose one of our ready-made arrangements, create your own selection of dried or paper stems or pick up a beautiful vase if she prefers fresh flowers at home. Don’t forget your card to make your gift complete.
Pop into the Shop at Rougham Estate and take a look for yourself. We’re open daily and happy to help you find just the right gift.
#roughamestate #mothersday #mothersdaygifts
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