Come and join us at our community craft centre, right in the heart of the Forest of Dean & learn one of the most ancient crafts. Once upon a time every village had a tannery, and it is said that until the early 1900’s a man and his wife lived in King Arthurs Cave making herbal medicines, and tanning rabbit pelts!
Now you too will know exactly what to do with a rabbit or small mammal roadkill or food systems waste if you have the opportunity, reviving this almost lost, skill for resilience and survival.
Week 1
We will start with intact, freshly culled rabbits. You will learn how to skin, gut and cook the rabbits. We will prepare the bark tanning solution, scrape the skins and add the skins to the bark tea as well as learning the basics of the tanning process.
Week 2
We will get the skins out of the tanning solution and continue with stripping the membranes down as well as learning more about the tanning process.
Week 3
Time to start softening and moisturising the skins. This is a long process which is better when done as a group, with chatter and spring sunshine. You will have completed the process which can be transferred to use on any other small mammals.
Profits
The Rewild Project is a Not for Profit, Community Interest Company, and Social Enterprise. It is our mission to support local craftspeople and promote heritage craft skills. We Rewild People by teaching these skills of self reliance and resilience for an uncertain future.
After the craftspeople are paid, and costs are covered we put any profits back in to the community with our ‘weekday sessions for disadvantaged groups’ a lifeline for many local people who we pick up each day and bring to Kensley Sheds and others sites to build community, skills, and share nutritious hot, locally produced food.
Families & Children
You are welcome to bring well behaved children to any of our workshops, although we cannot guarantee you will have the same experience we will do our best to accomodate you all. Children aged 9-12 will need a half priced ticket (Use code CHILD50) and must be accompanied by a full paying adult at a 1:1 ratio, and children aged 13+ will need a full priced ticket in addition to full paying adult.