HOORAY
- we've completed the shingle roof on the Long House. Many BIG
thank-yous to everyone who helped that marathon project. We got there,
and it looks beautiful.
Volunteer with us
Come and make a difference.
Learn conservation skills. Make new friends. Get fitter.
Click here to read Past
Masters article in March 2024 edition of Suffolk Norfolk Life magazine
Subscribe
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the latest news about courses, volunteer tips and highlights, stories
about the project.
Our annual report for the
year 22-23 is below. A video of our 24-25 Impact Statement can be
viewed on
YouTube.
View our Social impact report for 23-24 here (it's a PDF)
COURSES
CALENDER for
2026
As
a leading social enterprise we specialise in the delivery of Timber
Framing Restoration
Skills, Timber Framing, Wattle and Daub and Lime
courses for professionals,
home-owners, self-builders, and
anyone with an interest in getting hands-on with natural materials (or
learning how to instruct a builder more knowledgably).
We are a recognised provider of IHBC CPD
attendance certificates.
Vouchers for courses
are available. They also make excellent birthday, retirement or
retraining
presents.
Get hands-on experience of Wattle and Daub, using Hot Lime and Timber
Frame Repairs on our 4-day Timber
Frame Restoration Skills course
Y-post in Craft Barn
Watch our Earth Mortar video on YouTube.
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We
hope you will join us for our Celebration of Orchard Life 2-5pm
Saturday 15th August. Arrive from 2 to take part in activities such as
helping to make a Wattle and Daub bird box, nettle string, find out how
to use an old school two-person saw, get stitching a rag rug. Or bring
along an item of clothing and learn how mend (no zips). Find out about
traditional timber framing, how to repair ancient timbers, cleave sweet
chestnut and make lath!
At 3.15 watch
our new play about the old brothers who lived in the Long House a
hundred years ago, and something of the Ringshall Tithe wars.
3.45 go on a Guided Tour and at 4 help OBee CIC celebrate our 19th year with some homegrown tea and orchard cake.
FREE entry. Donations to our current Crowd Funding campaign welcome. Please bring friends, neighbours, family, colleagues.
With
your support, we'll inspire the next generation by running practical
earth building workshops that build skills, confidence, community and
hope.
To make a donation or check out the Crowd funding campaign rewards click here
Rewards include
-
Mallet Making – Make and take home your own traditional wooden mallet.
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Nettle String Workshop – Learn the ancient art of making cord from foraged nettles.
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Rag Rug Introduction – Discover this relaxing and sustainable heritage craft.
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Freeform Basket Making – Create a unique basket using foraged natural materials.
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Guided Tour of Orchard Barn – Join us on 15th August for our Celebration of Orchard Life and explore our beautiful orchard, gardens and historic buildings.
Crowd funding news
8th
January 2026 We were delighted with the success of our recent
crowd-funding campaign. With the support of 61 donors we raised £10,466
with donations matched by the Aviva Community fund and BA Better World.
This
funding has enabled practical work to improve biodiverstiy
habitat in and around the old orchard. Restoration and planting of two small
ponds is complete with ledges formed, AND additional water catchment area - a 20' length of ditch has been dug by hand and foot.
Hedge-laying is complete for the season - the regrowth is phenominal. A huge thank-you to everyone who contributed
and helped make this possible - your support is making a big difference.
CALL
OUT for new Volunteers.
Do you live in, or near to Babergh/Mid
Suffolk? Would you like to join our friendly, fun working parties? We
can offer you the opportunity to learn about working on the land using
traditional hand tools. You'll make new
friends, get fitter, have fun - all in a beautiful, natural, rural
setting?
Volunteer
Working Parties are held 9-1 most Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and
10-1 almost every second Saturday.
To book
yourself onto one of our Taster Days
Email Sarah
or phone
07766-054042 for more information.
22,000
sweet chestnut shingles — all cleft, dressed and fitted by hand from
880 logs — crafted using traditional tools and skills. The timber came
from local woodland now being brought back into active coppice rotation
after decades of pause, making this roof not only handmade but rooted
in regenerative woodland management and biodiversity revival.
Photo
below shows the timber frame (2022) and home made insulation (2023) in
the walls of our new Education Building
Montage by Daisy of
July Summer School for University College London Architecture students
Our 'new
normal' is the reinstatement of a holistic approach of working
with Nature that provides participants with greater awareness,
experience and insights into the interconnected of the health of humans
with the health of our environment.
Orchard
Barn has its own YouTube channel with 550+ subscribers. Have a look
at our video
about why we set up this community building project in 2007, and what
we've collectively achieved since then.
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