About us

Having grown up as a farmer’s son, climbing trees, helping outside, building things and whittling walking sticks from a young age, Adrian has been at the heart of nature all his life. With grandparents, uncles, parents and even siblings who have crafted numerous items from wood, including dining room tables, it was surely only a matter of time before woodwork and craft would take hold of him.

During the pandemic of 2020, on a whim, Adrian bought a spoon knife to ‘have a go’. Numerous courses, books and a qualification later, the craft of spoon carving and green woodworking had him in its hold. So as agriculture changed, it seemed a natural progression that we should start spreading the ‘Joy’ of the benefits of working with wood in an open environment. Away from all the modern trappings of offices, life, work … time to absorb yourself in crafting in The Surrey Hills. We threw a couple of ‘tester days’ for friends and there we have it: craft workshops became part of what we do.

Join Adrian on a Beginner Spoon carving experience try your hand at axe work and whittling by the open fire.

Sarah Joy has always been passionate about sharing her craft experiences and inspiring others. She also loves to spend time being creative whilst soaking up the surrounding nature. Sarah is trained in fine art, ceramics, craft design and photography and has over 30 years of craft experience, including card making, illustration, pen and ink and watercolour painting.

She and Adrian built the campfire area in the copse during lockdown. It became a special place to spend time outdoors with friends or being creative by the fire. They now use this space to teach a variety of classes, and Sarah is often found cooking the delicious lunch on the open fire. She also enjoys planting wildflowers throughout the farm.

Meet Carrie, Surrey's distinguished floristry maestro, renowned for her luxurious wedding and event creations. For nearly three decades, she's married the refined with the wild, sourcing premium flowers and seamlessly blending them with nature's foraged treasures. Beyond crafting, Carrie imparts her wisdom in exclusive wreath-making and flower-arranging workshops, nestled in the serene Surrey Hills. Experience a masterclass that harmoniously weds sophistication with nature's raw beauty.

Join us on one of our 3 wreath making workshops with Carrie, watch expert demos and create your own unique wreath with step-by-step tuition.

Ellie is Yeoman of the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers. She studied fine art and has always used textiles and natural materials to make functional objects. She became a full-time basketmaker and crafter since a change of career a few years ago.

She loves sharing her skills and meeting people. She also grows some of the willow used to weave.

Join us for Ellie Morgan’s Beginner Frame Basket Weaving Experience Day at Joy Farms and learn traditional basketmaking techniques. By the end of the day, you should have a stylish basket to take home.

Trees are in George Chapman’s genes. His grandfather pulled lumber on his traction engine and his father used to help him haul it up to London. His family grew up in the woods in the beautiful Surrey Hills where he spent many a happy hour playing and splitting logs.

George got lost on his journey in life and became stuck in an office job. The joy of working with his hands and wood was his release, always making and fixing things big and small.

Over the last few years, however, he’s quit the desk job to focus on the beauty of working with green wood. He loves all things wood. He turns bowls, carve spoons and make chairs, taking great joy in sharing his crafting skills.

At George Chapman’s Beginner Wooden Spatula Making Experience you can lose yourself for a few hours as you create with your hands whilst soaking up the surrounding nature.

Born in Hawaii to American and Japanese parents, Lisa shares her culture in all her sessions, with influences from the Japanese tea ceremony and wabi-sabi to the spriit of aloha and love of nature.
Forest bathing, or Shinrin-yoku, is a Japanese practice of immersing oneself in nature, specifically forests, to promote relaxation and well-being. By connecting with the forest environment through walks or contemplation, individuals experience reduced stress, improved mood, and increased overall health benefits.
Lisa takes our guests on guided forest Bathing sessions in the ancient Sheepleas woods out the back of the farm. Find out more about Forest Bathing in our blog.

Expert pole lathe bowl turner and spoon carver Amy Leake is renowned within the community and can be found demonstrating her skills around the world.

As a child, she first discovered her love of whittling, and it’s a love that has continued to grow. She has been working with hand tools to learn about the grain, strength and characteristics in the wood, and has a continuing fascination with the variations she can achieve.

She is passionate about nature; the wood she uses is sustainably sourced from local tree surgeons, or coppiced woodland.

Join us for one of Amy Leake’s Beginner Pole Lathe Bowl Turning Experience Days at Joy Farms and learn how to use a pole lathe to turn a block of wood into a unique and beautiful bowl.

For 10 years Jo has been creating wonderful willow sculptures for commission, events, and for sale.

She has been sharing her passion and teaching adults how to create willow sculptures of a range of animals including hares, deer, pigs, bees, dragonflies, stag heads, pheasants and flying owls to name a few.

She is passionate about nature and animals. Her Willow sculptures only use sustainable UK-grown willow. The Willow growers are a 4th generation family of growers.

Ellie Green is a highly experienced Arts and Education specialist, she has been teaching for over 10 years - working with major institutions. Since she moved to Surrey, she been teaching art inspired by nature and rooted in mindfulness since 2016. She believes in the healing powers of creativity and the importance of engaging in regular creative practices to reduce stress and anxiety.

She’s very down to earth, she has a gentle and relaxed teaching style and her demonstrations are easy to follow. Whether you’re a complete beginner with no experience or a seasoned pro you’re sure to be inspired by her enthusiasm and experience.

Explore upcoming date for her Botanical printing and other art experiences.

Kingfisher Farm Shop in Abinger Hammer has a long history of horticulture, flower growing and floristry. Their little flower shop is filled with seasonal blooms – British-grown wherever possible - and the relaxed, country garden vibe is very much their style.
Each bouquet their florists create offers up a surprise element of texture and pops of colour, and always with a seasonal reference.

Like ours, their farming history goes back generations, and we’re really excited to be working with them on our Seasonal Flower Hand Tie Workshop. Kingfisher Farm’s highly-skilled florists love to share their passion for all things flowers and look forward to teaching you how to create your own arrangements, sharing an abundance of professional tips along the way.

Rachel is a talented willow sculpture maker. She Draws on her experience of wildlife and nature. She uses British grown willow from Somerset to create sculptures for the home and garden. Connecting with the natural environment she tries to capture the movement of nature within her sculptures. She loves to teach her craft and inspire people on the use and beauty of natural materials to reconnect with the natural world . See available willow weaving workshops

Over the years, Adrian and Sarah have been taught by some of the best teachers in the country. As many of us don’t always have the time to travel to the far corners of the country for a one day course, we bring the teachers to you.
We’re always adding new courses and guest teachers, so sign up to our monthly newsletter to find out about new workshops and teachers.

If you’re interested in becoming a guest teacher we’d love to hear from you.