Ryedale Woodturners
Club nights
Our woodturning club meets on the first Thursday evening of every month, at Snainton Village Hall, Snainton, near Scarborough.
The full address is: Barkers Lane, Snainton, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO13 9BG
We invite a range of woodturning demonstrators, as well as running hands-on nights, training days, a woodturning competition, forum and social event (December), woodturning exhibitions and sales, and a members' shop selling second hand woodworking tools, consumables and books.
Woodturning tuition
One of our members, Dan Fearnley, offers woodturning tuition, from complete beginners to those looking to improve. More details at www.oldfern.co.uk
More information
More about Ryedale Woodturners. Look through our weekly club newsletters.
Why not have a look at Ryedale Woodturners Facebook group?
Woodturning news
LATEST NEWSLETTER
19 July 2026
The latest of our weekly newsletters is available, together with all previous editions.
OPEN EVENING
Snainton Village Hall
Thursday 6 August 2026 7:30 - 9:30pm
Free entry
Posted on 5 July 2026.
We open our doors to all-comers once again, with a warm welcome extended to members and visitors for an evening all about woodturning. There will be nine lathes running - all with an experienced turner behind them, showing some of the techniques involved in our craft. Projects include: a lidded box; a basic bowl for beginners; a bud vase using laburnum; basic techniques for new turners; a table lamp; a hollow form using various hollowing tools and jigs; simple spindle work - candle holders and lidded boxes; how to copy already turned pieces, including chessmen; miniature items including light pulls, lathe bobbins and a small goblet. Also a couple of sharpening systems to hone any chisels and gouges that may need improving. There will be opportunity to have a go at turning if desired. Refreshments will be provided, along with a small shop offering woodworking tools, equipment and supplies, and there will be an exhibition of some turned items.
HANDS ON DAY
Broughton, Sunday 12 July, 10:00 - 4:00 pm
We held another of our all day training events in July, this time at John Lund's workshop in Broughton. An enjoyable day, if a little warm towards the end of the heatwave.
Tuition at these events is for members only, but we welcome guests if they join the club - only £25 for a year, which represents good value just for a day's tuition, let alone all the other benefits belonging to the club brings.
EMMA COOK DEMONSTRATION
Snainton Village Hall, Thursday 2 July 2026
Posted on 5 July 2026 Yet another enjoyable demonstration from the Tiny Turner, a regular visitor to our club over the years. Emma turned a small hollow form with a lid, allowing for a wide opening to do the hollowing, then enclosing it with a lid with a hole in it, which could be glued in or left as a lid. She made the lid two sided, so a choice could be made between plain wood and a textured and dry-brushed design. A YouTube video is available to members only (one of the perks that being a member allows).
HANDS ON DAY
Ebberston, Friday 19 June 2026, 10:00 - 4:00 pm
We held another of our all day training events in June, this time at Andy McClaughlin's workshop in Ebberston. An enjoyable day, capped by a visit to the Grey Whippet at the end onf the afternoon session.
Our next training event will be a daytime session (10 am - 4 pm) in Broughton.
Tuition at these events is for members only, but we welcome guests if they join the club - only £25 for a year, which represents good value just for a day's tuition, let alone all the other benefits belonging to the club brings.
COLIN WATSON DEMONSTRATION
Snainton Village Hall, Thursday 4 June 2026
Posted on 7 June 2026 A thoroughly enjoyable demonstration looking at the processes behind turning, colouring and lacquering a bowl. Colin was very clear explaining what he was doing and why, gave out lots of information, and timed it all very well. The message was that to get the best finish, you need to take time, allow for drying in stages over a few days, and be sure that the products you use are compatible. A YouTube video is available to members only, for one month (one of the perks that being a member allows). There was a lot of information passed on, so it is worth a look, possibly with a notebook to hand.
DAN FEARNLEY DEMONSTRATION
Snainton Village Hall, Thursday 7 May 2026
Posted on 10 May 2026 Dan makes a lot of trophies for people, with three main styles - "toppers" on plinths, discs, and cups. You can see a gallery of his work at oldfern.co.uk. He explained that there is often a variety of tools suitable for a job, and demonstrated this by made a cricket trophy, taking us through a range of different techniques and tools, explaining clearly what he was doing, and more importantly, why. A very informative and successful evening, enjoyed by the 50 plus audience gathered in the hall to watch, listen and learn. A video of the evening is available on You Tube
HANDS ON EVENING
Snainton Village Hall 7:00 - 9:30 pm
29 people gathered for a workshop evening, with 7 tutors and 8 lathes, 15 improving turners, and 7 guests who came along to see what was happening, and join in the social side of the evening. We also had a demostratoin of a 3D printer. .
Our next training event will be a daytime session (10 am - 4 pm) in Ebberston.
Tuition at these events is for members only, but we welcome guests who are interested in learning a little more about woodturning and about our club.
EXHIBITION AND SALE
Hill Institute, Thornton le Dale, 11 - 12 April 2026
Posted on 19 April 2026 A two-day exhibition and sale of woodturning saw lots of people, and their dogs, come and have a look, talk to us, and buy some of our work, despite a showery Saturday and cool Sunday. Our third best sale since we started running them in 2016.
REDMILL TIMBER OPENING
Outgang Lane, Pickering, Thursday 2 April 2026
Friday and Saturday 17 - 18 April 2026 10 am - 4 pm
Posted on 6 April 2026, update 7 June 2026 Redmill Timber in Pickering is steadily expanding its business, and opened a small retail cabin in April 2026. A number of people in the woodworking trade were represented - Sorby, Rustins, Spot Nails, Cast ironmongery supplies, Timco screws and ironmongery, and Craft Supplies. Simon Grimmer is hoping to increase his stock of off the shelf turning blanks, as well as being a local representative for Sorby.
RICK DOBNEY DEMONSTRATION
Snainton Village Hall, Thursday 2 April 2026
Posted on 6 April 2026 Rick took us through a number of techniques in making a small box, involving the skew chisel for the outside, a ring tool for the inside, airbrushing for the sunrise effect, embossing with home made punches (4” nails), and turning an aluminium finial for the top of the lid. A very instructive and entertaining evening. Rick sent us a pdf breakdown of the project for those wishing to have a go, and there is a video of the demonstration available on YouTube for a month (both these are for members only).
KATIE ARMSTRONG DEMONSTRATION
Snainton Village Hall, Thursday 5 March 2026
Posted on 8 March 2026 Katie kept things simple but engrossing, with two small square blanks - maybe four inches square - and just three tools - a ½" bowl gouge, a ⅜" bowl gouge, and a parting tool. She turned a bowl with a square collar, and then turned a lid for it to make it a box, using the bowl as a jam-chuck for holding the lid, demonstrating a Russian fit ("popov") with a resounding pop, greeted with spontaneous applause by the 50-strong audience. A video of the demonstration is available on You Tube, (to members only).
HANDS ON EVENING
Snainton Village Hall 7:00 - 9:30 pm
23 people gathered for a workshop evening, with 7 tutors on 7 lathes, 11 improving turners, and 5 guests who came along to see what was happening, and join in the social side of the evening. 2 were new to the club, and potential future members.
The evening was successful enough for Geoff to book another evening, at the end of April (Thursday 30th), with the event to follow a similar pattern to this one.
Tuition at these evenings is for members only, but we welcome guests who are interested in learning a little more about woodturning and about our club.
ANDY JAMES DEMONSTRATION
Snainton Village Hall, Thursday 5 February 2026
Posted on 15 February 2026 Andy presented a very clear, articulate and high calibre demonstration of a specialised area of woodturning – miniature segmented vases. As he said, he likes to do things that others don’t, and his production of a small vase in a couple of hours demonstrated what is possible with care and attention to detail. A video of the demonstration is available on You Tube, to members only.
OPEN EVENING
Snainton Village Hall, Thursday 8 January 2026
Posted on 11 January 2026 We started another year with enrolment and a (free) open evening. Despite icy conditions we had a good turnout of 43 people, and kicked off enrolment for the year with 49 members already signed up. The evening provided opportunity for members and guests to chat, have a drink and a biscuit, have a go on a lathe if desired, and stock up on wood, abrasives and finishing products from our club shop. A very enjoyable evening.
Ryedale Woodturners
Our club meets on the first Thursday evening of every month, at Snainton Village Hall, Snainton (near Scarborough in North Yorkshire), from 7.00 pm until 9.30 pm, 9:45 pm at the latest. Demonstrations start at 7.30pm, so there is opportunity to talk to other members prior to the demonstration starting, and of course during the 15-minute tea break half way through. Where possible we try to broadcast demonstrations on Zoom for members who cannot attend, and make them available on You Tube for a period after the event.
We were known as Snainton Woodturning Club until January 2017, when we changed our name to Ryedale Woodturners, along with a change in our place of meeting.
We invite a range of top demonstrators, as well as running two Open Evenings as hands-on nights, and a Christmas party where we run an annual club competition. We have two large video screens and sound equipment focused in on our Nova DVR lathe during demonstrations, to ensure everyone present can hear and get a good view of what is going on.
We also have five other lathes - 4 Coronet Heralds and a Record DML 320, which are more portable and are available for loan, for tuition, and for exhibitions.
We run a members' shop at every meeting, selling abrasives, wood finishes, turning blanks, and second hand equipment for sale at very reasonable discounted prices.
Fees
The annual membership fee for 2025 remains at £25.00 per single person, £35.00 per couple (living at the same address). Under 18s are free.
This is payable at the beginning of January each year. For any person wishing to join the club after February the membership fee will be reduced accordingly.
This fee is subject to review each year.
At each club night an attendance fee of £5 will be charged to members and guests. This fee will include refreshments and entry to the raffle. Open evenings are free.
Any guests attending club nights more than twice in any one year are expected to become a member.
Former members are always very welcome to attend as guests.
Mentoring and training
The club offers a mentoring scheme for members new to woodturning. There are experienced club members that may be prepared to arrange mentoring of newcomers at their own workshop for a couple of hours, to get them started. Contact the secretary if interested.
We also hold a number of training days, usually hosted in members' workshops, usually with five or six lathes and specialist equipment available. You have to be a member to attend these popular sessions.
From 2026 one of our club members, Dan Fearnley, is offering one-to-one tuition on a private basis at his workshop in Pickering, tailored to suit individual needs. More information at www.oldfern.co.uk
Copies of the past Annual Reports for the Club are available to download: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. 2025
This website
This website is being revised from August 2022, to create a responsive website better suited to mobiles and tablets, whilst preserving the viewing advantages of full screen on laptops and workstations.
The original website was created from 2014 to 2021, and some archive pages have been left available for reference.
Site Manager
The site is constantly under development, being created and managed by Steve Fearnley, a club member since 2010. It is by its nature a work in progress. Hopefully it will provide some interest to members and visitors alike. Contributions are very welcome.
Sales
We organise sales of woodturning by members 4 or 5 times per year. Items are sold on behalf of members, with 20% commission going to club funds to cover expenses and support activities.
Workshop clearances
We offer a service to people who have workshops to clear (locally) - sadly usually as a result of a bereavement or ill health. We will arrange a visit to a workshop, advise on possible purchase or selling of equipment and tools, circulate photos amongst club members, and in some cases purchase tools for onward sale at the Club. We like to think it is a fitting tribute to them and their interest in woodturning, and that we also provide a service for relatives in ensuring equipment goes to a good home. If you are in this position, read more about this workshop clearance service
Club Library
The club has built up a collection of DVDs in recent years, thanks to the efforts of Brian Wrigglesworth who has recorded demonstrations on club nights. Members can ask to borrow these DVDs for personal viewing. A catalogue is available. We also have a read and return collection of Woodturning and Woodworking magazines and books. There is a growing online video library on YouTube.
Hands On Evenings / Open Evenings
The club runs two hands-on evenings in January and August, when a variety of techniques and topics are covered and people are invited to have a go. We also organise hands on days in members' workshops, where people can gather, talk about woodturning and share techniques. Beginners will be given priority, and to some extent can set the agenda for these events.
Club constitution
A copy of the constitution is available as a pdf document.
Committee
- John Whiteley - chairman
- Phil Coe - vice chair
- Steve Fearnley - secretary/treasurer
- Ian Temple - video
- Martyn Weller - video
- Geoff Walker - bookings, training
- Lance Garrard
- Steve Cooper
Contact information
Email and phone
- e-mail: info@ryedalewoodturners.org.uk
- Telephone: 01751 476005
- Mobile: 07881 209459
Mailing Address
- Steve Fearnley
- Garth End Cottage
- Roxby Road
- Thornton le Dale
- North Yorkshire
- YO18 7SX
- (United Kingdom)
Contacting us
The easiest way to contact us with regard to anything about Ryedale Woodturners is by e-mail, to info@ryedalewoodturners.org.uk, with an indication of your subject matter.
Payments
If you wish to become a member, you can pay by bank transfer, or by cash or card when attending a meeting. You can email to request bank details for a transfer.
Items for sale
If you have items for sale that you think our club members may be interested in, please contact us via email, preferably with some details and possibly photographs. There are lots ways we may be able to help - for more details read the Sales page.