Workshops

2025 Workshops at the Weald and Downland Living Museum, West Sussex

In 2025 New Workshops will be tutored by Christina and Ruth Mannion-Daniels at The Dower House in the Cotswolds

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WorkshopS At The WeaLD and Downland

Health & Herbal Medicine in Roman Britain

Tuesday June 17th 9.30a.m.- 4.30pm. £75.

Archaeology is constantly providing more information on this subject, up and down the country. From stone stamps describing eye ointments and giving us  the oculist’s name and often main ingredients, to the lay-out of a military hospital. Also votive offerings in temples of healing. Written sources are available, from the wooden writing tablets found at Vindolanda fort on Hadrian’s Wall, to the recipes of Scribonius Largus, a surgeon who was stationed in that same area in the first century. 

The focus of the day will be wide, taking in living conditions and common health problems, beliefs about health and making recipes from the period. Herbs will include myrrh, saffron, frankincense, pepper, long pepper, stoechas lavender, parsley, juniper, wild carrot, orris root and cumin.

Recipes will concentrate on treatments for common problems of the period, for the eyes, throat, coughs, stomach pain etc.

Dental care will also be considered from toothpowders to treatments.

 

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Workshop

Herbs in Healthcare Supporting Vital Health

Wednesday June 18th. 9.30a.m.- 4.30pm. £75.

In Ancient Greece three ‘capacities’ were understood to govern the patient’s body. These are the brain, described as the reasoning capacity, the heart, or vital capacity providing innate heat and the liver, providing the nourishing capacity. They would be given first consideration and, if necessary, they would be strengthened with treatments before giving strong medication, purging or letting the blood of the patient. 

We still recognise the importance of the health of the brain, heart and liver and this day will be devoted to looking at conditions affecting those three organs, together with herbs in recipes to support them.

Some herbs on the day for the brain will be rosemary, Spanish sage, betony, ginger and ginkgo. Conditions discussed will include poor memory, trigeminal neuralgia, headaches, dementia from various causes and Parkinsons disease.

Some herbs for the heart and circulation are hawthorn, limeflower, bilberry, motherwort and rose. Advice on conditions affecting the heart will include high and low blood pressure, high cholesterol and some common problems arising from poor circulation. For the liver, some herbs will be dandelion, milk thistle, artichoke, agrimony and vervain. Liver conditions will include jaundice, cirrhosis and gall stones.

Workshop

Herbs and Climate Change

Friday 19th July. 9.30a.m. - 4.30pm. £75.

The changing climate gives us longer periods of heavy rain and consequent flooding, while at other times it is abnormally warm, or hot and dry conditions pose other challenges. Guidance will be given on  plantings to combat the worst effects. Harvesting times are altering and it is being noted that the more successful birds and insects which depend on plants for food, are beginning to adapt to these. Herbs suitable for wetland conditions such as meadowsweet, willow, marshmallow, gypsywort, bogbean, sweet gale, sweet flag and medicinal ferns will be included in the suggested herbs for bog gardens, ponds, and damp, shady areas.

  Although until now herbs have coped well in a variety of conditions, observation has revealed that some may do better if not planted in traditionally helpful sites. Certain herbs, such as marigolds, formerly set in full sun may do better if planted in partial shade. There will be discussion and sharing of experience as to what may be helpful as we face each new year. Thought will be given to supporting herbs suited to the hotter climate and drought resistant herbs such as houseleek and orpine, as well as to soil composition and health. Organic pest control in the absence of frosts is an added feature.

 

2025 WORKSHOPS AT ThE DOWER HOUSE, NEAR CIRENCESTER......

To Book or for more information please email Christina or call 01249 821087

Further Dates to be arranged

Workshop

Roman Herbs for Medicine & Cookery. Tutor Christina


Saturday 26th April. 9.30a.m. - 4.30pm. £75. Lunch £5

At the Dower House an ordered, formal Roman garden has been planted to present those herbs introduced to Britain during the Roman occupation. On this day we will explore medicinal and other uses of these Mediterranean herbs. In cookery they have remained popular as important preservatives, digestives and seasonings. The familiar sage, thyme, rosemary, mints, oregano, savory and cumin are examples. Some will be related to recipes in Apicius, the only surviving early culinary sourcebook. There will be an opportunity to make and taste one adapted recipe for lunch.

For enlightenment on herbs in medicine we will be making recipes to treat common respiratory and digestive conditions, with care of eyes and teeth also considered. These recipes will be taken from first century AD sources, Celsus de Medicina and Compositiones Medicamentorum of Scribonius Largus, a surgeon stationed on Hadrians Wall. Herbs used will include Rosa gallica, poppies, pepper, fennel, dates, myrrh, frankincense, rue, orris, anise, saffron, dill, myrtle, squill and juniper. As we examine the great array of ingredients in the Antidote of Marciani Medici, the impressive extent of the trade routes of Roman times will be appreciated. A background of life in the legions stationed here, beliefs about health, and the integration of Roman culture into Celtic life in Britain, will make this a day to remember. 

Workshop

Understand Temperament, Ancient times to today. Tutor Ruth

Sunday 27th April. 9.30a.m.- 4.30pm. £75. Lunch £5

Temperament, the concept of the uniqueness and individuality of each one of us, is at the centre of all healthcare traditions that have been practised across cultures and civilisations throughout the last five millennia. The roots of European medicine lie in Egypt and Greece, and together with cross pollination from other traditions formed the doctrine of the four temperaments and their corresponding humours. This medical theory endured as mainstream medicine with few changes until the Industrial Revolution.

Today there is increasing interest in recapturing the wisdom and knowledge of this philosophy that embraces not only our bodies, minds and lifestyle, but our environment too. This workshop, focusing on the Western tradition offers an understanding of our relationship with the macrocosm, the elements, and humours, and their effects on our health through the seasons and as we age. You will be introduced to the six basic rules for maintaining health, the temperaments of therapeutic plants and how to match these to your condition.

In the Temperament Garden we shall identify herbs and reveal their use in a personalised way through making recipes using their heating cooling and moisturising actions. A selection of herbs available in the temperament garden in April, sweet Cicely, bugle, white dead nettle, ground ivy, mints, rosemary, sage, nettle, docks, chickweed, plantains, violets, yarrow, chicory, cleavers and dandelion will provide fresh ingredients.

Workshop

Meet the Rose Family. Tutors Christina and Ruth


Saturday 7th June. 9.30a.m. - 4.30pm. £75. Lunch £5

The Rose family is wide and varied with over 4,000 members, including trees, shrubs, perennial and biennial plants. Many of the herbs in this family are grown in gardens for their ornamental appearance. This day provides the opportunity to extend your knowledge of useful plants and come to understand the shared forms and chemistry which make this family both familiar and valued. Among the trees, Almond, Apricot, Cherry, Sloe, and Crab apple, Hawthorn, Medlar, and Quince, give us fruits. Many of these are rich in vitamin C and pectin. Others offer medicinal properties to be used carefully to support the heart, digestion and general health. Many Rosaceae members have large numbers of stamens and pistils at the centre of the flowers/blossoms. Parts of the flowers are often multiples of five. 

Among the roses the dog rose gives us hips, supplying vitamin C for winter, the Apothecary’s rose is appreciated for preserves both culinary and medicinal, while Rosa damascena provides wonderfully scented aromatic water.  Related fruits are available for much of the year with strawberries, raspberries and black berries adding to the list.

The rose family members can be used to treat all systems of the body, with meadowsweet for indigestion, diarrhoea, and muscular pain relief, agrimony for liver health, lady’s mantle easing menopausal symptoms, dropwort for urinary problems, rose to calm anxiety, raising mood and hawthorn to support the heart and circulation.  Recipes on the day will reflect these uses.

Workshop

Meet the Daisy Family. Tutors Ruth and Christina

Sunday 8th June. 9.30a.m.- 4.30pm. £75. Lunch £5

Even larger than the Rosaceae family, once again many herbs will be readily recognisable from gardens. Thery include perennials, biennials and annuals of varying heights. There are some particularly beautiful plant forms, with the milk thistle, blessed thistle, and artichoke. Asteraceae is commonly known as the daisy family, although the aster has been chosen as the representative flower, replacing the old name of Compositae which described these plants as having flowerheads made up of many individual florets, living as a community.

Of the daisy form, the common daisy, ox-eye, chamomile, pot marigold, elecampane and costmary all have a long history of medicinal use. Smaller daisy forms are seen in mugwort, hemp agrimony, groundsel, yarrow , European golden rod and wormwood. The dandelion is perhaps better known to gardeners as a resilient weed, but today will be revealed as a highly valued herb for treating the liver, urinary and immune system.

During the day we will be exploring the temperament and Roman gardens as we appreciate the many uses of these herbs not only in medicine, but in cookery, particularly the pot marigold, artichoke, elecampane and dandelion. For winemakers written recipes include pot marigold with peach, and dandelion and burdock. As probably the most versatile herb of the day pot marigold is also a useful dye herb. Recipes made will be helpful for digestive problems, urinary infections, inflammatory conditions and coughs.

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