FAQ
Below is a list of common questions
Where are you located?
We are located in Long Wittenham, a village and small civil parish about 3 miles (5 km) north of Didcot, and 5.9 miles (9.4 km) southeast of Abingdon. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it from Berkshire to Oxfordshire, and from the former Wallingford Rural District to the new district of South Oxfordshire.
The New Legacy workshops are held within Sylva Wood Centre.
When I arrive will I need a car?
Students generally arrive by car. Alternatively, students can travel by train, arriving at Didcot and Culham, the nearest train stations. For travel from within the UK, please visit the National Rail website where you can book your train and collect tickets at the train station.
There is only 1 local bus service from Long Wittenham. It only operates during school or college terms, and operates at the relevant opening/closing times. School terms can vary depending on the schools requirements. It is possible that the service is only available to pupils from the relevant school.
A good source for local public transport times and journey planning is the Traveline website.
For travel from outside UK, Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton and Birmingham are the nearest airports.
When do I need to arrive by?
The New Legacy workshops open at 9 am and generally close promptly at 5 pm. Because of the nature and security of the Sylva Wood Centre properties, opening and closing times are generally adhered to.
I am a beginner woodworker, can I attend?
Our foundational courses and the 2-day workshops begin at ground level so that you gain a solid and well-informed foundation on which to build your skills and knowledge. Paul developed these courses specifically for new woodworkers and those new to the traditions of hand work, which includes seasoned woodworkers working mostly with machines.
What if I want to cancel?
While we try to ensure that every class is on schedule and everything goes according to plan, circumstances may occur that necessitate our cancelling or changing the date of a workshop. If we are unable to reschedule a workshop to fit your schedule, we will gladly refund your workshop payment. Unfortunately, we cannot accept responsibility for other expenses such as accommodations, travel bookings and loss of earnings etc. If you have to cancel a workshop booking please call us and let us know as soon as possible so that we can work with you. All workshops must be fully paid for before the class unless special circumstances occur and prior arrangements have been made. Our policy in general is that no workshop place is reserved until full payment has been made. If you withdraw from a workshop more than 30 days before the date of the workshop, we will refund any deposits and payments received. If you give less than a 30-day notice, we will refund your payments only if we are able to fill your place in the class.
Sometimes a cancellation is necessary and we understand that. Please see our cancellation policy.
We will consider illness and family emergencies to be legitimate exceptions to this policy. There will be a £25.00 non-refundable application fee in either case.
What do I need to bring?
We strongly recommend that you bring personal notebooks and sketchbooks to record information during the workshops. A digital camera is also useful as a memory aid and for recording successes, memorable moments etc. That said, please be considerate of your fellow students and instructors. Do respect others during the workshops. We generally discourage audiovisual recording as this tends to be a distraction to all concerned. We do not allow audiovisual recording of lectures and demonstrations or fellow students except by express permission by staff and students. Safety should always be of primary concern.
What accommodation is available?
Some useful information can be found here.
What tools do I need?
We supply all the tools you will need throughout any of our courses, however, some people want to bring and use their own tools in class and this is fine provided the tools are in the right condition. Here is a recommended tool list. If your tools are unsuitable you can still use the New Legacy tools.
How old do you have to be to attend a class?
Since our workshops are specifically intended for adults, each student must be 18 years old on the date of the chosen class to enrol. No children are allowed in the workshop during a class. We will consider a parent and mature child attending on a case by case basis.
I have a specific need, can I attend?
If you have any personal needs or special requirements, please contact us before booking to discuss how we can help by using the contact-us page.
What should I wear?
Please wear suitable protective work clothes.
No open toed shoes or sandals
No shorts.
No loose-sleeved clothing
Long hair should be tied back.
Do you have any recommendation for things to do in the area?
To make the most of your visit to Oxfordshire, please visit the Oxfordshire tourism board website for ideas.