Charcoal and Biochar Making Workshop

Charcoal & Biochar Making Workshop

Join us for an engaging, practical, hands-on workshop exploring the traditional skills of charcoal making and the increasingly popular use of biochar in gardening and sustainable land management.

Throughout the day, you’ll discover how to produce charcoal using different methods, including ring and retort kilns, gaining an understanding of the processes involved in achieving consistent, high-quality results. We’ll also demonstrate how to make a simple, cost-effective charcoal kiln using a 45-gallon oil drum, giving you the knowledge to produce charcoal on a small scale using readily available materials.

We’ll explore the fascinating world of biochar, demonstrating how woodland residues, garden waste and other suitable organic materials can be transformed into a valuable resource for your garden. You’ll learn about suitable feedstocks, production techniques and how biochar can be prepared for use in improving soil condition, moisture retention and nutrient availability.

Our own biochar has been laboratory-tested, helping us assess the quality of the material produced using the methods we teach. We’ll share our practical experience and explain the techniques we use to help you produce high-quality biochar for your garden, allotment or growing space.

For those interested in making charcoal for barbecues, we’ll discuss the qualities of good barbecue charcoal, suitable types of wood and the techniques used to produce a reliable, efficient-burning product. We’ll also explore the fascinating process of making artist charcoal, looking at how carefully selected wood and controlled charring techniques can produce charcoal suitable for drawing, sketching and other creative applications.

We’ll explore the possibilities of small-scale charcoal production and how these traditional skills can make productive use of woodland and garden resources.

This is a practical workshop where you’ll have the opportunity to see the processes in action, ask questions and develop skills you can put into practice at home.

Everyone will take home a bag of charcoal at the end of the day!

To make the day even more enjoyable, we’ll provide freshly prepared vegetable soup and crusty bread for everyone at lunchtime.

Whether you’re a gardener, allotment holder, small woodland owner, conservation enthusiast, artist or simply interested in sustainable living, this workshop offers a great opportunity to learn traditional skills, discover practical techniques and turn otherwise wasted materials into useful products.

Course Details

Location: Woodland site near Warminster, Wiltshire

Duration: 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, including a half-hour lunch break

Course Fee: £75. A small booking fee may be added by Eventbrite.

Refreshments: The kettle will be on throughout the day, with tea, coffee and biscuits available for you to enjoy throughout the workshop.

We are based near Warminster in the heart of Wiltshire, Southwest England, with convenient access from Bristol, Bath, Salisbury, Southampton, Chippenham, Swindon and London. Warminster railway station is approximately a 10-minute drive from our woodland site.