Sylvankin Avis 

Booked onto a bow making course with Sylvankin and what I can only describe as an incredibly relaxing, informative and enjoyable experience. Alex and the team were a font of knowledge, helping where needed and standing back to let us find our own groove. A hearty warm meal was provided with the kettle on the go for a brew. The workshop is in the middle of a beautiful woodland giving a sense of the old bodger's existence and the calming affect of the woodland environment gave a wonderful decompress from the rat run of modern life. I came away refreshed, recharged and with a decent long bow but with new skills and refreshed older skills to go forward to make my own bows in the future.
I would not hesitate to recommend any of the courses run by Alex and the team, An absolute joy.

The instructions were really clear, was also able to use their shuttle service in York which was really helpful

I did the axe workshop and the weekend was brilliant. It was really inclusive, easy to follow, the team were friendly and approachable and took time throughout the group at various points to share their knowledge and interests which made the whole experience quite relaxed

I’ll be going again for another workshop for sure

I booked the Axe making 2 day workshop for hubby's birthday this weekend. I also took part and thought maybe I would not be able to create anything, how wrong was I. We both enjoyed it and created our axes and were able to camp in the forest, fantastic surroundings. Alex, Frank & Dan were fab. High five to Dan for the delicious stew. Thank you so much, I got flowers from the hubby today as a thank you for a great gift. We will be back for a knife making workshop.
See you again soon
Yvonne & Mark Booth

Great open location in the heart of the woods, really friendly staff, people who know what they are talking about. We did the axe making course and the description and explanation from the staff made it lots of fun. Would do it again and I will be looking to do the bow making and the shield making in the future.

Fantastic, unique experience in lovely woods with knowledgeable and friendly staff. Teenage son created his very own longbow over 2 days, learning brilliant skills and memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you for offering such a great experience.

Fantastic bow crafting weekend.
I came on this bow crafting weekend not knowing what to expect, but with one aim in mind - leave with a functioning bow.

Alex and Frank are brilliant teachers, very patient and experts in their craft (Frank can also make an amazing home made stew!). They are both a good laugh and very easy to talk to

I went on the course solo, and quickly got chatting with all the rest of the group - great set of guys and girls. At the end of the course, everyone left with a smile on their faces and a bow to be proud of.

I had communicated with the team before coming, asking them a couple of questions, one being if I could aim for a heavy draw weight / war bow - they strongly advised against this for someone making their first bow (and now I know why...).
Despite their expert advice, I had my heart set on this and thanks to their guidance and knowledge I have come away with something I am extremely proud of - a fully functioning longbow with a heavy draw weight that looks, feels and shoots exactly how I had hoped. It took a lot of patience and hard work (using maple, and trying to craft a thicker/heavier bow that had a consistent bend along the length) but it was well worth it. I would not recommend doing the same as I have unless you are very patient, have experience with tools, and are willing to work your hands to the bone - all the while with the looming risk of the bow snapping when first strung which would have been heartbreaking... You can make a very good, fully functional, very usable bow by following their advice (I'm just stubborn)

I would highly recommend this bow crafting weekend to anyone

Just got back from forging an axe over the weekend. We went as a party of 3 and was expertly tutored by Frank. The experience didn’t disappoint. We thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and the chicken stew was great. We camped out over night and had a few beers round a camp fire. This was a great experience and will be booking again to make a knife. Thanks again to Frank and the Sylvankin team.
Scott, Greg and Daz

I attended the axe forging experience and it was very well organised from start to finish. Frank was really helpful and kind.

Excellent experience on the weekend bow making course.
Alex is a great teacher. Knowledgeable and patient.

I made a significant mistake early in the process and he found a solution to save it. While that did mean I didn't quite end up with the bow I was hoping for, I still left with a working bow that I am very happy with and looking forward to shooting.

The location is perfect for the activity, and I was a big fan of their philosophy and approach. Both Alex and Frank are very passionate about what they do and it shows.

I was solo, but it was a good group of people also on the course so the atmosphere was really nice. Lots of mutual support and encouragement.
Decent stew too!

myself my wife and our boy made bows this weekend. we camped in the woods from friday to monday, it made the experience even better. communication was great and quick right from go. we was met by alex at the gate who showed us through the woods to site. right from the start you could see the passion that alex and frank had for their craft. very basic on site perfect for the craft ,but had everything you need, loved the loo with a view. both very hands on with helping , great explanation of what was needed. lots of help where needed to get you going. the food was something else, didnt need seconds. wont say to much as dont want to spoil the experience, but we both loved making the bows and would highly recommend to others. doing the course and camping made it so much better with a fire pit in the evening. you are by yourself unless others are staying. we loved it and our little boy (sausage dog) was welcomed as part of the group.
its great that young people are keeping the old crafts alive. check there site as they do lots of other skills.

Brilliant weekend of Bow Making. Alex and Frank were great, helpful and easy going. Always ready to give simple to understand guidance when needed. They take you from a bit of wood, to a long stick, to a functional bow with a string you made yourself; or in my case a string made 60% by me since my brain could not follow simple instruction everyone else got 1st time, sorry Alex. The weekend is well paced with a lovely homemade lunch thrown in, so although irs occasionally hard work, it's always enjoyable. Highly recommended 👌🏻

I had a brilliant time, they were extremely good at coaching and did not over control you. They are always their to help and step in onley when you want it, they are not demanding and are understanding.

A great weekend! From a piece of timber, we crafted our own, working, 40 pound draw weight long bow.

My 11 year old son had a fantastic time, and is very proud of his creation, and has been playing with his new bow every opportunity he has.

There is no doubt in my mind that bow making is an art, and Alex, is very much an artist.

If you are considering a weekend here, please don't hesitate, you won't be dissapointed.

I normally don't review courses but I thoroughly enjoyed my time learning flat bow making with Alex and Frank in the woods. They explain the process in simple straightforward steps and have the patience and experience to respond when things don't go as you expect. Even with the rainy weather everyone had fun and took home basic functioning bows. THANK YOU

Very well run long bow course in a great setting, every step of the process was explained in detail with help to keep you on the right track. Very relaxed setup I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in making a longbow.

Attended with my Dad for the 2 day long bow course as a birthday gift for him. The setting is perfect for the tasks; tools and materials all provided and well maintained.
Instructors were skilled and very helpful.
A great group of people and really fun.
Look forward to the knife course I’ve booked into next.

We did the Axe forging course It was a great two days. Well facilitated. Fully hands on. It will be all your own work with as much or as little support as you wish for. I found it rewarding and a ‘different’ weekend to most of the things one can do.

Peaceful off grid surroundings. Very knowledgeable and friendly people.

A group of us from The Historical Living Company have just spent the weekend at Sylvankin's 2-day axe making workshop, and we had a brilliant time! Frank and Alex expertly guided us through the processes of forging and tempering the axe heads and fitting the handles, so that by the end of the two days we each had made our own functional axes. The woodland location was lovely, with lunch being a very tasty chicken stew cooked over an open fire (vegetarian option available). I found the weekend highly enjoyable, the lads were friendly, encouraging and knowledgeable, and I highly recommend the course. Would love to do another one with them!

Where do I start, from the moment I arrived at the site entrance I knew I was going to have a great experience. Alex and Frank were very welcoming and I like their backwoods approach of simplicity. Every thing we were going to do was explained very clearly and most importantly the safety aspects to be observed (I spent 20+ years as a freelance HSE instructor). The guys explained and demonstrated every thing very clearly inspiring confidence in us/me when we did our own stuff. I leaned so much especially the forging with Frank so much so I am now considering buying a new forge. Over the years I have fitted many a shaft to hammers from tiny hammers to sledge hammers and all in between as well as all sizes of axes. The way Alex showed us made me understand why I always struggle getting them tight on the shafts.
To sum up my experience I loved it and well worth the cost, would recommend it to every one if you have the opportunity take it you will not be dissappointed.