A friendly, informal group of woodcarvers

Chatterley Carvers takes its name from Greta Chatterley, who set up the group and taught woodcarving to its members for many years. Her aim was simple: to share her enjoyment of a craft whose techniques go back centuries, and to encourage anyone who wanted to have a go.

For a time Greta ran more than one group, with woodcarvers meeting on Wednesday evenings at Bells Yew Green Village Hall and on Tuesday evenings at Horam Village Hall. Woodcarving was for everyone, and beginners were always welcome.

Greta was well known in the wider woodcraft world: the Sussex Woodcraft Society's annual show included a pyrography class for the Greta Chatterley Trophy. She carried on teaching well into her nineties.

Today the group meets in the small hall at Frant Village Hall one evening a week. We're not a class: we're woodcarvers of every ability who get together to carve and share experience and ideas about techniques, projects, wood and tool sharpening, much as Greta did.

We show our work at local events, occasionally take on commissions, and mainly carve because we enjoy it. Keeping the group going is the best way we know to remember all that Greta taught us.