We had an amazing time on David's Bushcraft 101 course. The location is beautiful and David is a great teacher. At our request the day was catered to focus on foraging, fire lighting and building shelter, but we squeezed in some other fun activities too. We learned some good practical skills, but most importantly it was a very enjoyable experience. A perfect escape from city life. Thanks David!
We've only been on two of David's Family Friendly walks so far and can't wait to get back for more. More daughter's (3 and 5) are nagging me to book onto the next!
He inspires and delights everyone with the beautiful changing woodland - with information on identification, survival, edibility and other uses of the things we come across. It's all pitched so wonderfully and engagingly at the youngest amongst us but all of us gain hugely from it.
After just two sessions and my daughter's are desperate to know more and so much of what he has said has stuck with them.
Just lovely - and Hodgemoor Woods where he runs the walks is a fabulous and varied location to get to know ! I can't believe he runs these sessions for free - his passion for the great outdoors is truly palpable.
David is such an engaging, knowledgeable and expert host, my team had a fantastic time learning skills such as building a fire, bread making and whittling wood and it felt safe and fun at the same time. Sitting chatting round a campfire is the best solution to stress and learning to slow down and be at one with nature.
David's stories and expertise mean I can highly recommend a session with him in his beautiful woodland camp, with all the facilities you could need provided by David with nature's help.
David made a walk in the woods a lot more interesting and fun for the kids than if they had just been out with mummy and daddy - and interesting facts for the parents too!
The wild garlic pesto we made for lunch afterwards had a very interesting flavour
David is great! My children and I attend sessions for young children and they both love it.
David manages to walk the fine line between keeping even the youngest ones safe and allowing them freedom. He's really sparked their interest in how we interact with nature and how bountiful it really is. I would highly recommend him to everyone. He clearly knows his stuff and has an engaging manner that makes it easy to learn from him.
Great day in the forest baking, roasting and eating ! Baked Pesto bread, Roasted Beetroot, Lamb with garlic and sweet potato all buried in a ground oven, followed by roasted butterflied salmon over the coals. What a feast... and learnt so much. Thank you David !
I have been lucky enough to see David's level of Bushcraft skills as a parent at several family/children friendly events (woodland walks, educational events relating to nature and Bushcraft). As well as his expert adult focused courses as an Explorer Scout Leader . These have included the life changing 'Adults introduction to Bushcraft weekend camp' as well as being our Bushcraft expert at our Explorer Survival Camps. David has a wonderful nature, calmly and expertly explaining exactly his subject matter be it to young kids, our Explorers or us slightly older 'kids'.
A very enjoyable day in beautiful woodland. Dave is extremely knowledgeable and a patient teacher. I have already imparted some of the techniques from this course to our Explorer Scouts.
Had a great time during David's Family Bushcraft (Nature Connection) course. David is very knowledgeable and conducted the day at a very comfortable pace, great for all the children in attendance. My 7yo son had a blast, built a den, got stuck in with the bread baking, and learned to identify a couple of edible plants that we now want to try and forage for.
Would definitely do this course again with my wife and daughter (or any of the other ones for that matter)
We had an incredible time at David's family bushcraft day with our 3 year old son. We didn't know if he'd be too young but David always got him involved, there were children there of a variety of ages and they all seemed to enjoy it.
The camp location was beautiful, in a secluded woodland, with a campfire and 3/4 other families. We did firefighting, baking bread, shelter building, the time went very quickly but it was also a really relaxed day.
David was really accommodating of the fact we are vegan.
We highly recommend the experience and will definitely be returning in the future.
My daughter loved the bushcraft session and was mesmerised by the camp fire. David shares his knowledge with passion, runs memorable and interesting sessions which keep the kids active and outdoors during the winter and he's amazingly good with the kids, giving them confidence to be outdoors but with clear boundaries for safety.
I also went on an (adults only) bush craft day myself with David. I learned so much and loved the constantly warming fire in the campfire hearth. I was made to feel welcome as someone attending on their own and the others in the group were friendly and fun. Recommend this as a treat to yourself to get outdoors or for someone else as an experience gift.
Had a fun weekend in the woods learning new skills with David. Ate like & king & set fire to stuff... What's not to enjoy?!
Spent 24 hours with 11 scouts on a survival camp run by David. They built shelters to sleep in, cooked lunch over open fires, learned knife and saw skills and then had the most amazing lamb roast and associated vegetables cooked in a ground oven. David is a very knowledgeable instructor who engages with his pupils whatever their age, I would highly recommend him.
I have known David for a long time. I have been on a couple of his courses including the bushcraft weekend, where you learn all sorts of great skills. David has a huge range of skills and is incredibly passionate about the outdoors and passing on his appreciation for all things outdoorsy. Have a look at his website and give one of his events a try.
We recently joined David for a walk around Hodgemoor Woods and had a great time - he was very good with our young kids and encouraging an interest in what they were seeing. We will be keeping an eye out for future walks and activities with David.
Loved the woodcraft bushcraft course. Really enjoyed learning to do something I'd never tried before, so satisfying & great fun to have a go at & felt really encouraged by David with his enthusiasm & humour teaching how to do things. & loved being in such a beautiful woodland setting, making cups of coffee over the camp fire & delicious lunch from food we'd foraged in the woods. Would highly recommend this to anyone, David is a great teacher & makes it a thoroughly enjoyable experience & great fun.
Lovely day with a great guy who is passionate and knowledgable about his subject.
Can't be a much better way of spending a day outside than learning ... and trying ... different campfire cooking techniques. Lamb roasted in a fire pit accompanied by foraged wild garlic and salad leaves, sea bass steamed in moss, ponassed trout and two different types of bread ... all prepared, cooked and consumed in the one-day course (Backwoods Cooking) set in beautiful private woodland (currently carpetted with bluebells) in south Bucks. I am an experienced "bushcrafter" but have never managed to persuade my wife and daughter to join me in the woods for weekend (or longer) courses, but they were made to feel really comfortable and had a very enjoyable day ... it might not be so hard to persuad them to go again!
I was given the breadmaking day as a gift and i could not have enjoyed it more. It was a small group and David was a knowledgeable and engaging leader. I look forward to booking another course and would recommend to anyone.
The Bushcraft Course with David Willis was amazing. David is very knowledgeable about all things Bushcraft. We learnt how to make an underground oven, lighting fires with fire stick, cooking fish over open fire and in moss as well as bake bread over open fire and also in dutch oven.
Plenty of foraged cups of tea from nettle and ground ivy throughout the day.
I had so much fun and learnt so much and want to do it again asap.
If you like the outdoors, nature and food then you will love this. Couldn't think of a nicer chap to do it with.
Dean
David Willis is a very knowledgeable and friendly instructor who makes you feel welcome and makes learning enjoyable. David has a very wide range of Bushcraft knowledge and skills and is happy to answer any questions you may have. I would recommend David Willis Courses to anyone who is looking to get out into the woods for some Bushcraft. The location also is very nice, easy to get to with a get set up for your every needs.
Our family of 5, (7,5, and 5) did a family bushcraft experience with David overnight and it was absolutely fantastic. One of the most memorable things we have ever done together!
He was absolutely superb with the children, their sense of wonder, fun and freedom was a delight to watch and they learnt so much about nature. 5 different methods for Fire lighting, how to tell different trees apart, whittling, which wood is good for burning, and of course how to build a den (shelter) that you will actually sleep in!
David is extremely knowledgeable, patient, good company, and a delight to have met. We will be back.
David was and is a perfect professional - seriously knowledgeable about bushcraft with a calm and relaxed teaching style. I can't recommend him highly enough, I thoroughly enjoyed my day and have already booked more. He's the kind of guy you learn from just by being around him, let alone being taught by him! Book up, you won't regret it!
I took my 12 year old son for a bushcraft day last Saturday with David. One word sums up the day quite well - Brilliant!
David has a natural aptitude for dealing with children and my son was spellbound for the whole day. On the way home in the car my son said that it had been his best day ever. I think that sums up David's abilities quite nicely.
Peter Morris
One of our best days out and a not what we were expecting at all. Firstly, maybe from a woman's point of view but the kettles were on and tea and coffee was available all day. Nothing tastes nicer than a cup of camp fire tea - except for the excellent lunch David made over the same fire. We had a wonderful day, learning about the trees and the forest. All stuff we thought we knew but maybe had either forgotten or just thought we knew it. We collected nettles for the lunch, and there were a few raised eyebrows and mild protests, but we soon learned - nettles don't always sting. The very best bit was whittling wood- we loved it and didn't want to leave at the end of the day. I still claim my butterknife is one of the best - and not a dwarf's sumari sword. Weather didn't matter, we were warm, comfortable and at the end of a splended day - very happy. Thanks David - everyone should do this. Its the best gift day out you have never thought of. Hope readers try it for themselves.
David came out to my place to run a bespoke bushcraft day for my best friend's hen do. He was really helpful with organising the day and pitched the day perfectly, everyone had a great time, laughed lots and ate well. I'd highly recommend.
I attended one of Davids bread making days a couple of days ago set in a beautiful woodland in the Chilterns. We made a variety of bread, my favorite being the stick bread which we added some of David's homemade wild garlic leaf pesto, delicious! The day was not all about bread, we also did fire lighting and learnt lot's about bushcraft in general. David is very knowledgeable and loves to pass his knowledge onto others. The day is structured enough to make the most of the day and relaxed enough for you all to sit and enjoy a chat round the fire. Oh, I have nearly forgotten to mention lunch! David checked with everyone first to see if they had any dietary needs to caterer for. The group enjoyed preparing and cooking our lunch as part of our activities for the day. I had a lovely day and would definitely recommend.
What a wonderful day and night we spent in the woods! David is a lovely fellow who really knows his stuff and we all gained new skills and knowledge. Definitely recommended!
The middle of January might not have been the best time to book a weekend in the woods, but the shelter we built from sticks and leaves helped keep me warm in below 0 temps, the spoon I carved worked fine with my dinner and for one day I forgot everything that was weighing on my mind. David was a great teacher, cook and host, I enjoyed it all so much
David is a friendly,knowledgable teacher,who puts you at ease,especially as I was using unfamiliar tools like,knives and an axe. The woods are quiet and it's nice to be away in nature and sitting whiling away the hours by the campfire. I can recognise a few more trees than before too,and I came away with some utensils than I can continue to refine at home. All in all a very enjoyable day.
I had a very good time in the woods. I have learnt how to light the fire and make different kinds of bread. It was a fabulous course. Thank you, David.
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