Craufurdland Estate Traditional Skills

In the Spring of 2010, East Ayrshire Woodlands and Craufurdland Estate, near Fenwick, agreed on a project to
promote traditional skills within the estate woodlands.

The first part of the project was to create an interpretation trail in a public area, as an educational resource,
to demonstrate, in the form of 3d installations, traditional woodland crafts.

A seperate clearing area was to be created, where local groups could visit to take part in bushcraft and other craft
as part of a woodland school programme, hopefully developing into a forest school site.

The second part of the project was to create a charcoal burning site in a private area of the estate, close to the castle
itself.

In May 2010, a 6 week pilot project began with a group from Kilmarnock Academy, to work on the development of
the learning trail.

The initial weeks were spent creating the path network and the central clearing, followed by definition of the clearing site with
ash pole fencing. Good progress was then made on bird boxes, the site shelter and green wood woodland 'throne'. The last week put aside
for informal activities of a barbecue, woodland games, firelighting and a tidy up. We have since completed a rustic entrance to
the clearing.

Work will now continue on the traditional skills installations, installing the rest of the bird / bat boxes and
completing the last section of the circular path and the main entrance.