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Creative Courses in the Cowshed 

 Cowshed Creative

Inspiring Art and Craft Courses in the Lake District

With something for everyone  

Workshops at Cowshed Creative are based in our two storey traditional Lakeland barn conversion. The art studio is a stunning open plan space and there is plenty of room to wander outside and take inspiration from the amazing landscape and environment of the peaceful Kentmere Valley

 With inspiring teaching, a great choice of creative art, craft and heritage courses to choose from, join us and treat yourself to a wonderful experience with great company

Take a look at our 2025

Creative Workshops

We are taking bookings NOW!

Award for excellent art and craft courses at Cowshed Creative

We are so proud to receive this award for excellent 5 star provision from student recommendation.  This award is verified by Craft Courses UK. A huge thank you to our fantastic tutors and to our students for such great feedback

★★★★★   The place was amazing – a beautifully converted barn in stunning surroundings

 Michelle     Craft Courses website

★★★★★    Cowshed Creative is a great day out. Lovely, quiet, picturesque location and welcoming hosts. There are plenty of different courses to choose from. Definitely worth a visit           

  Jane Johnson   Google My Business

★★★★★  Fantastic craft workshop, brilliantly organised and a wonderful welcome! Thoroughly recommend!           

Francis    Google My Business

★★★★★  Another great art course at Cowshed!  The venue is terrific, with a great welcome, tasty food and excellent facilities.'             

Steve     Craft Courses website

Silver spinner ring art and craft workshop ©Cowshed Creative © Cowshed Creative
 Textile art and craft courses in the Lake District © Cowshed Creative
Indigo and Shibori craft course in the Lake District© Cowshed Creative
Water colour art and craft workshop in the Lake District © Cowshed Creative
Silver jewellery craft workshop © Cowshed Creative

The majority of our classes have a maximum number of 8 students 

This is to ensure that you receive lots of one to one help and support

from the tutor so you can make good progress and quickly develop new skills

We provide teas and coffees throughout the day and a home made tray bake 

You need to bring a packed lunch.  We are happy to recommend some great places in Staveley to buy supplies on your way here. 

Our art and craft courses in the Lake District have parking available on site.  We are based near Windermere and Kendal.  Staveley railway station, on the branch bike that connects to Oxenholme mainline station, is 2 miles from the farm; a 10 minute bike ride or ½ hour walk. The 555 bus service goes through Staveley to Kendal or in the other direction to Windermere, Ambleside and Keswick.   National Rail Enquiries

Green story

We provide a free parking space but as a greener option, if you live nearby and it's possible, why not come to an art and craft course by bike, or lift share with a friend. If you would like to know more about the measures we have put in place to make our business more sustainable, please check out our 

Reviews For Cowshed Creative Workshops

All reviews were posted independently on
Google My Business, Craft Courses website & Facebook Reviews

The Cowshed 

is an Amazing Venue ★★★★★

We had such a wonderful day on the Shibori course. The cowshed is an amazing venue, so inviting and comfortable and we were looked after so well with homemade cakes too! I would thoroughly recommend this as a place to undertake a creative endeavour and I will definitely be back to try another course! 

Shibori

Lovely Spacious &

Light Work Space ★★★★★ 

July 2024 

 Helen

Google My Business

We attended the Shibori Indigo Dying class and it was just lovely. The venue is a haven of peace and quiet, facilities are spot on - a lovely spacious and light work space. The class was not crowded and very relaxed. We got the chance to work at our own pace with lots of help. Highly recommend.

Shibori

July 2024 

Anna

Facebook

Highly Recommend   ★★★★★

What a wonderful day we had at the Shibori workshop with our fab teacher Kate. I’d arranged a surprise for our group of friends ( male & female) to celebrate a 60th Birthday. Everyone enjoyed the day in your lovely barn studio with the big log burner and to top it off George appears with a fantastic surprise touch of a homemade birthday cake We loved the peaceful setting  I would highly recommend George and her team

Shibori

July 2024 

Yvonne

Google My Business

Fantastic Weekend ★★★★★

Hannah was so skilled in helping me realise my dream basket! It is a wonderful venue, cannot recommend highly enough.   

Basket Making 

May 2024 

Sue

Facebook

A Beautiful Location for

a Workshop ★★★★★

George is an amazing, really friendly host. I’ve done three silver smithing courses there now with Gail, who is an excellent teacher and I wouldn’t hesitate to return. 

Spinner Rings

May 2024 

Vonny

Facebook

An Amazing Place to

Learn ★★★★★ 

An amazing place to learn a new skill in a beautiful, peaceful environment. George is a wonderful host and I’ve really enjoyed the three workshops I’ve taken there with Gail. 

Stacking Rings 

Definitely Recommend

 ★★★★★ 

May 2024 

 Tracy

Facebook

Lovely time at Cowshed Creative. Watercolour and pastel painting day.  Beautiful setting, great tuition, wonderful hospitality.  I am hoping to go again - Definitely recommend.

Lakeland Landscape 

May 2024 

Lesley

Facebook

The Whole Weekend 

was a Joy  ★★★★★

I absolutely loved my weekend basket making with Hannah Ehlert at Cowshed Creative.  The whole weekend was a joy, a meditation and a workout! On top of all that the venue is heavenly, the company was great, there was plenty of tasty treats and tea... and I came home with a basket that I adore. A big thank you to Hannah and George for hosting such a special weekend. 

Basket Making

May 2024 

Clare

Facebook

Beautiful Barn

 Brilliant tutor ★★★★★ 

A beautiful space for crafting. A gorgeous, warming log burner in a beautiful barn to greet us.Plenty of space to work. I did a modern calligraphy session with Claire who was brilliant.It was really fun, creative and with a lovely group who chatted away making it a very enjoyable morning's session....plus George's cakes are amazing!!  Thank you.

Contemp.  Calligraphy

May 2024 

Amanda

Google My Business

Completely Absorbed 

★★★★★

Just another thank you for yesterday. I was completely absorbed with learning a new skill and the time just flew by. I wore my new earrings out yesterday evening and everyone said how wonderful they were!  

Aluminium Jewellery 

May 2024 

Isla

A Brilliant Day 

★★★★★

Google My Business

The aluminium jewellery course at Cowshed Creative was a brilliant day. The location is stunning and inspiring for creative projects. George was a very clear and organised instructor. We all managed to make at least 3 items of jewellery and had more decorated aluminium to take home. I had a great day and the home made cake was a bonus!! 

Aluminium Jewellery 

May 2024 

Jo

Fantastic Course

★★★★★ 

Google My Business

I really enjoyed my day at Cowshed Creative. The Autumn watercolour course was fantastic and the tutor, Karen, so helpful and encouraging! It was the first watercolour painting I had done since school so I was very much the novice but after my day I feel I can work on what I have learned and improve in my own time. The hospitality from the owner, Georgina, was lovely.  All in a cosy, converted barn with a roaring log burner. I will book another day next year and look forward to returning!!   

Lakeland Landscape

Oct 2024 

Lara

Google My Business

I attended a sea glass jewellery course at Cowshed Creative with the tutor Gail Louise Jewellery and thoroughly enjoyed it. The Cowshed Creative workshop space is a lovely converted barn in a rural location. The workshop was engaging and I enjoyed the challenge of using materials I haven't worked with before. Everyone left with at least one item of silver and glass jewellery they'd made themselves. I would absolutely recommend both this workshop and location. I'll certainly be keeping my eye out for more! 

Google My Business

Orla

Sept 23 

Sea Glass Jewellery

★★★★★ 

Absolutely Recommend 

I had a Fab Day at

Cowshed Creative ★★★★★

I had a Fab Day at Cowshed Creativeon on a silver clay jewellery making workshop. I was amazed to make some beautiful jewellery- George is a very good teacher and is very patient!  Loved it and hope to come back one day for another workshop.

Silver clay Jewellery 

July 2023

Shiromi

Facebook

Expert Guidance and

Teaching  ★★★★★ 

My day with Cowshed Creative was wonderful. Beautiful, peaceful surroundings combined with expert guidance and teaching helped me create lovely silver clay jewellery that I would never have thought possible. Highly recommeded.

Silver clay Jewellery 

July 2023

Shanti Thomas

Facebook

Absolutely Loved My

Day ★★★★★

At Cowshed Creative, the relaxed atmosphere, beautiful setting and delicious food all came together as a perfect place to be creative with the wire drawing. Thank you

Nature Inspired Wire Drawing

July 2023

Ro Thomas

Google My Business

The Surrounds Are Lush

★★★★★ 

Wabi Sabi (Raku)  It was a lovely experience. The course leader worked to develop everyone. The food tasty , the fire toasty. Planning my next one

Raku Pottery

A Grand Day Out 

★★★★★ 

July 2023

Elizabeth Ashton

Google My Business

A lovely day creating lovely jewellery - a welcome break from working in a full on job. The lunch was beautiful, the room was light and airy, but had a gorgeous fire lit when we arrived. The tutor was very good, she enabled us to be creative in our own way, whilst using her own creative expertise to guide us. All in all a grand day out and I will certainly look out for more creative experiences with Cowshed Creative.

Silver Jewellery 

July 2023

Denise Nardonne

Google My Business

Fantastic Weekend   ★★★★★ 

Fantastic Weekend at Cowshed Creative making baskets. We are thrilled with our finished basket. Hannah ran a great course with really good instructions, teaching us skills and techniques. With lots of one on one help as well as group tuition. The venue is perfect. We will definitely be doing another course here.

                            Basket making                June 23        Kate Boissier Wyles  Google My Business

A Truly Special Experience  ★★★★★ 

I attended a 2 day basket weaving course and I would highly recommend it. Hannah is a wonderful teacher, hugely encouraging and with endless patience. The beautiful barn is a wonderful place and George a friendly and welcoming hostess. A truly special experience.         Basket making                June 23.       Frances Hamlett

Really proud of my achievement ★★★★★ 

I spent a very enjoyable day at the Cowshed learning about mosaics with Kay.  I was a complete novice at mosaics and am really proud of my achievement. Kay is an excellent tutor, explaining every stage clearly and patiently. The room is ideal for this course and is set in a stunning location. Thank you.

                                                          Mosaic                             June 23         Chris                   Google My Business

 

Definitely Worth a Visit  ★★★★★ 

Cowshed Creative is a great day out. Lovely, quiet, picturesque location. Great food and welcoming hosts. There are plenty of different courses to choose from. So far I have enjoyed the mosaic course and the tie dyeing. Definitely worth a visit.

                                     Mosaic & Shibori Indigo Dye  May 23  Jane Johnson       Google My Business

A Wonderful Experience  ★★★★★ 

The oil painting portrait day run by Catherine MacDiarmid was such a wonderful experience. The combination of skilled tutoring, relaxing atmosphere and stunning workspace set in the gorgeous Kentmere valley was a perfect setting as inspiration for the day. The delicious homemade lunch topped off a great experience. My course was bought as a voucher gift for me and I would definitely recommend this if you are looking for a creative and interesting present for someone or just to treat yourself. Many thanks Cowshed Creative, I loved it.

                                          Portrait painting                May 23         Ro Thomas.          Google My Business

 

Excellent Workshop! Highly Recommended it! ★★★★★ 

George was well organised, there was ample equipment for all, the pace was spot on, and the atmosphere was great. Warm, bright, spacious workshop. George made everyone feel relaxed and welcome. Her delivery was clear and easy to follow George was very encouraging and supportive to all in the class and was very knowledgeable. There was coffee and tea on tap, and afternoon cake was served with a smile😊

                                          Silver Clay Jewellery         May 23         Clare Burt             Google My Business

Absolutely Loved the Workshop ★★★★★ 

George is a lovely teacher and gave each of us so much time and advice. I would very definitely recommend this workshop and would definitely do it again

                                                          Silver Clay Jewellery          May 23         Alison Haseldon   Google My Business

A Beautiful Venue  ★★★★★

Very good course held in a beautiful venue. Liked the way the tutor was able to engage with students of different abilities and experiences.                                  Portrait painting                May  23        Richard C             Craft Courses

 

Delighted with our Willow Tipi Structures ★★★★★

Hannah is an enthusiastic and encouraging teacher with a huge knowledge of her subject. The whole day was a very enjoyable experience and we are delighted with our willow tipi structures.

                                                          Willow Garden Structures  May 23         Peter & Margaret  Craft Courses

Fabulous Location ★★★★★

and relaxed learning environment with wonderful food                           

                                                    Willow Garden Structures  May 23         Margaret             Google My Business

Excellent Course and Well Organised and Delivered ★★★★★

I loved my day creating a willow garden support and was really pleased with how it turned out as well as everything I learned to do it again in my own time and with different materials. Thank you also for the delicious food and friendly welcome and a it was beautiful spot to spend the day to boot :-)

                                          Willow Garden Structures  April 23        Frankie                Google My Business

 

We had an Excellent Day!  ★★★★★

Came for a silver pendant and earring workshop, we had an excellent day and we’re really pleased with our end results! Gail is really approachable, knowledgeable and made the whole day really enjoyable for us all. George is a wonderful host and incredible cook! Looking forward to visiting for another workshop in the future, thank you!

                            Silver Earrings & Pendants  April 23        Ellie Pearson           Google My Business

Great Place and such friendly service ★★★★★

Great place and such friendly service ! What more can I say.

                                                          Mosaic Course                 June 22          J L Edgar                Google My Business

 

The Venue and Food were Excellent  ★★★★★

I had a great day making sea glass jewellery and am wearing my earrings with pride. The venue and food were excellent and I will be booking again.

                                                          Sea Glass Jewellery           June 22        C J                         Google My Business

 

It was Absolutely Fantastic!  ★★★★★

I was so excited for this course and boy was it absolutely fantastic. Both George and Gail made you feel welcome and at ease straight away. Lovely space for creating too… Nothing was too much trouble and wow the food… absolutely scrumptious. Gail was an absolute superstar… a great font of knowledge and shared her passion for jewellery making.  Loved every minute and my spinning ring. Can’t thank you enough ladies.

                                                          Spinner Ring Jewellery       May 22        Karen Rowan         Google My Business

I Came Away Very Happy!  ★★★★★

The course tutor, Sue, gave really clear instructions and was brilliant at helping participants at each stage of the process. The venue was lovely, lunch was delicious and George was really welcoming. I came away very happy and pleased with all the prints I'd made. Thanks so much.

                                                           Lino Printing Course          May 22         Charlotte Treglown  Craft Courses 

 

Loved My Weekend Here!  ★★★★★

New basket making skills learned, fabulous food and location and a really wonderful group of generous, supportive ladies! Thank you George for your hospitality and Hannah for your patience and wonderful teaching

                                                          Basket Making Course       Oct 21          Teresa Cruse         Google My Business

What an Amazing Experience!  ★★★★★

I can’t recommend this enough, George and Hanna were perfect hostesses and the location was very welcoming with lovely homemade lunches provided.      

                                                           Basket Making Course      Sept 20         Stephen Frankish   Craft Courses 

Loved Every Minute of this Course! ★★★★★

Ihe place was amazing - a beautifully converted barn in stunning surroundings, providing plenty of space, light, warmth/ventilation for workshops.  Catherine was superb - guiding us through the tools and techniques simply without overwhelming us. Her experience, style and approach created a relaxed, creative atmosphere where you felt able to experiment. Whilst there was a range of styles and experience amongst our workshop attendees, everyone was really supportive and the variety added to the experience and discussions. I learned so much during the day and left genuinely inspired to develop my painting further.  Hugely recommended!    

                                                           Oil Painting Course          April 20           Michelle Kent.    Craft Courses 

 

Still Buzzing about it a Week Later!  ★★★★★

I honestly can not speak highly enough about this course! I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it!  Meg was fantastic and helped me every step of the way. She was so welcoming, calm and enthusiastic and left me wanting to go home and make dungarees for everyone in my family!  George was a fantastic host. She made everyone feel welcome, kept us warm, topped us up with water, coffee and tea, and made the most amazing lunch - I asked for the recipe it was so delicious!
I really would recommend this course to anybody!  
   

                                                           Drapes to Dungarees        Sept 20          Jess D.           Craft Courses 

The Mosaic Class was Excellent  ★★★★★

It was a small, friendly class so we all had plenty of individual attention from our teacher Kay, and we had a good selection of materials to choose from. The barn is beautifully converted with a great atmosphere and an enormous wood burning stove to keep us warm. The lunch was delicious and plentiful with yummy cake in the afternoon. The day was great value for money, I'm very pleased with my mosaic and I'll definitely be going back to learn more.   

                                                     Mosaic in a Day.             Sept 20         Jacqui Kent.     Craft Courses  

 

Hopefully this will be the start of a new hobby!  ★★★★★ 

Throughly enjoyed the day. Venue is of the highest quality, Lunch was all homemade and delicious.
I was a complete beginner doing watercolours. Karen was very patient and I learnt a lot of techniques.
Thanks again George and Karen for a lovely day! 

                                                           Lakeland Landscape Course   Sept 20         Elizabeth T.       Craft Courses 

Highly Recommend the Course and Venue ★★★★★

Jo Dix is a an excellent teacher and very knowledgeable jeweller and stepped us through the whole process of Silver Clay, and the creative possibilities with the medium - well organised. Very happy with the day. The venue was lovely, a very warm welcome and lovely lunch from George. In light of the challenging health and safety around Covid 19, every care and precaution was taken by both the venue owner and teacher.     

                                                           Silver Clay Jewellery Course   Sept 20.        Nisha Postlethwaite Craft Courses

 

Another Great Art Course at Cowshed!  ★★★★★

The venue is terrific, with a great welcome, tasty food and excellent facilities. The Portrait class has given me some really great tools to improve my portraiture, with good help and encouragement from Catherine, the tutor. It's interesting to chat with other students to see different styles of working and ways to create portraits. Of course, social distancing is seriously maintained, providing a very safe feel throughout the day. Highly recommended.  

                                                           Portraiture Course                 Sept 20         Steve Barron.           Craft Courses 
 

I had a wonderful day and would definitely come back ★★★★★

I really enjoyed making the spinner ring and found the tutor Amanda to be very patient and helpful, showing how easy the whole process of making a spinning ring can be, and the endless design possibilities that there are. The Cowshed was  a really nice venue for the course and so tranquil. George was so accommodating with coffee and the food was superb! 

                                                           Silver spinner Ring Course     Sept 20          Jane Shaw, Craft Courses 

The location is fantastic  ★★★★★

Thank you Cowshed for a great Dry Stone Walling course. The location is fantastic in the Kentmere Valley. The course itself was fantastically hands on. I learned so much. We worked on a real section of wall and all the tools and necessary safety gear was provided or made clear what we needed to bring and do. I've been inspired that I have already repaired one wall and now lining up a new long section to build.  The food and drinks were delicious and right on time when we needed it. Thank you again. I thoroughly recommend this course for any one thinking of doing a course in dry stone walling!    

                                                           Dry Stone Walling Course      Aug 20         Steve Tonkin.            Craft Courses 

 

 

The home made food was delicious   ★★★★★

I thoroughly enjoyed the dry stone walling workshop. We had an experienced, encouraging and patient tutor, the setting was stunning, the home made food was delicious and I finished the day very proud of the wall our group had built together and confident I'd be able to continue walling on my own. I'll definitely be considering other Cowshed Creative workshops in the future.     

                                                           Dry Stone Walling Course      Aug 20          Julia Wilson.          Craft Courses 

Stunning location, inspiring and relaxing ★★★★★

Jo is an excellent teacher, she made it very easy for us all to produce great pieces. George is a great host and she looked after us with the most amazing healthy lunch plus fabulous cake! Highly recommend Cowshed Creative as a location and Jo Dix as a teacher. Will definitely go again.          

                                                           Silver Clay Jewellery Course   May 20        Annabel Williams.     Craft Courses 

Wonderful Shibori course ★★★★★

I definitely recommend Cowshed Creative if you would like to be inspired!  Our lovely group experimented with indigo and cotton fabrics, the course arrangements and resources were great, the studio space is idyllic and all arranged with social distancing in place. Fabulous teaching from Kate and excellent lunch and cakes from George - Thank you, I will be back!                                                                 Indigo and Shibori Course     April 20        Alison Quigley.         Craft Courses 

 

Organisation was perfect as was the beautiful location ★★★★★
The Raku course was such an enjoyable event. Two excellent days. A lovely warm welcome from George on arrival. Chris was a fabulous, patient teacher and I made far more work than I expected even though I was a complete novice. The firing process was exciting and I loved the element of surprise as to how the glaze would turn out. Lunch and cakes by George both awesome. The barn was toasty warm and comfortable to work in. I wouldn't change a thing and would highly recommend taking this and any other course with Cowshed Creative.  

                                           Raku Pottery Course               Oct 19          Marion Brown.          Craft Courses 

 

Gorgeous barn with huge log burner  ★★★★★

Absolutely loved the venue - gorgeous Barn with huge log burner. George made us feel very welcome and provided some excellent lunch and a wide variety of dessert and homemade cakes. 

                                                           Abstract Landscape  Course   Aug 19          Alison Leith.             Craft Courses

 

My idea of a perfect day  ★★★★★

Loved the course. Hannah guided us through with infinite patience and generously shared her knowledge and enthusiasm for this beautiful craft - I'm hooked! I'd highly recommend Cowshed Creative to anyone- it's a fantastic venue in a beautiful location. George was a fantastic host, and made us all feel very welcome. Great food, good company & crafting - my idea of a perfect day - I'm spoilt for choice as to which course to book next!  Justine  Burton

                                          Basket Making Course           June 19        Justine Burton.            Craft Courses 

 

Met some lovely people ★★★★★

The cowshed was lovely. Loved making my first wreath and found it interesting to learn what you can do. Teas and coffees all good and the cakes were amazing. Will be doing more classes in the future here. Finding the place and parking were easy.                                                 

                                                           Natural Wreaths Course        Dec 19          Lisa Wilton.              Craft Courses 

   

Thanks so much for all your lovely comments

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