Letter Carving in Wood - Two Session Workshop

Name: Letter Carving in Wood - Two Session Workshop
Start: 2026-01-29T10:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-01-30T13:00:00+00:00
Location: Abbey House

Schedule

Thu, 29 Jan, 2026 at 10:00 am to Fri, 30 Jan, 2026 at 01:00 pm

UTC+00:00

Location

Abbey House | Glastonbury, EN

In this 2-day non-residential workshop at Abbey House on the 29th & 30th of January, you will be introduced to the art of letter carving in wood and discover the different skills and techniques involved, as well as learning about the tools you will be using. The course will begin with you carving a significant date in Roman Numerals and then progressing onto an A4 sized plaque or house sign. As letter carving involves the use of very sharp tools, part of the course will cover sharpening.
Most materials and all equipment are provided in the cost of £100 for the entire course. The workshop will start at 10am and finish at 1pm both days. The materials for day 2 - the A4 timber sign - are purchasable on the day and you can choose one of the following options:
Oak: Good outside with regular oiling – but hard to carve. £12
Lime: Not good outside but easy to carve. £12
Ash: ok outside with regular oiling – ok to carve. £12
Cherry: ok outside with regular oiling – ok to carve. £25 (subject to availability)
If you want to source your own timber, please remember that the grain running horizontally is easier to carve than with the grain running vertically across the surface of your piece. Carving end grain is very difficult and quite a challenge for a beginner.
Advance booking online is essential. Tea and coffee will be provided.
About the Tutor
Stephen Stokes has been teaching letter carving full time for the last ten years based at Bodden Cross Studio in Somerset. A career in media took him all over the world but each time returning to the workshop. His work now appears in diverse locations around the world ranging from Canterbury Cathedral to the Bruton Art Factory. He says that his greatest pleasure is witnessing the flame lit in a soul when working with their hands and realising they have a creative talent.