•  Do you want to  learn about Beekeeping ? 
  • Imagine making your own yoghurt & cream cheese !
  • Would you like to know how to make your own jam ?
  • How much space do you need to keep hens ?
  • Have you ever milked a goat ???
  • Have you always wanted to grow (even a bit of) your own fruit & veg ?
  • Would you like to make your own wheaten bread?
  • What do you need to make your own wine ?
  • Want to learn about free forage from the hedgerows for jam, wine & liqueurs ? (Sept/Oct only)
  • Do you have a garden but want to know how and when to do pruning, maintenance, etc ?

We are running Beekeeping, Gardening & Self-Sufficiency Courses to show what is entailed.  

Learn a new skill!  Become more green!  Work with nature!  Enjoy your own home produce!  
Save a fortune on wine (when you make your own)!
Get more out of your own garden!

Courses and Dates are planned to suit the requirements of each individual group.

It might be a special treat for you, or perhaps you know of someone who would appreciate a course for a Birthday, Anniversary, Honeymoon,  Wedding or Christmas present. 

Courses will be tailored to suit each group. 
Cost per person: £ 80 per day, includes:
Refreshments, Lunch & Home Baked Goodies (min 2 people per booking).
Course participants will go home with a copy of the Course Notes and a Certificate of Achievement  to show that they have completed  a Ballyroney Cottage  Course.

COURSE PACKAGE B&B SPECIAL OFFER:
2 nights B&B + 1-day course for two people (Double or Twin Room):
​£ 150 per person (min 2 people per booking).
Booking in advance essential.
Larger groups: please contact us for availability & rates.
Watch our video to get a taste of what's available at Ballyroney Cottage. 

​We can tailor courses to suit your requirements.
Gardening Course:
  • Whether you are starting from scratch or have some experience, we can tailor this course to suit you. 
  • You may have inherited a garden with existing shrubs & trees or maybe you have a completely blank canvas. 
  • We can cover all aspects of getting started, planting choices, pruning, ensuring colour throughout the year, propagation, etc. 
  • If you prefer, we can bring the course to you and help you get started in your own garden. 
  • All course notes are included in this course.
Bee Keeping Course:
  • You may have heard about the demise of the honey bee.  Many people who live in the countryside or have a very large garden, consider keeping bees. 
  • In this course we will explain the requirements of beekeeping throughout the year.  
  • Bees require checking every week from April to October and at regular intervals during the winter. 
  • They require quite a big commitment and expense and you may need someone to step in if you’re away for a few weeks on summer holidays. 
  • This course will give you hands on experience in handling bees and all course notes are included to give you a taste of what is involved. 
  • All beekeeping equipment is supplied for the day.  If you have wellington boots, please bring them along.
Self Sufficiency Course:
  • Our self-sufficiency courses are flexible and designed to suit each individual.  
  • Would you like to learn how to milk a goat and make yoghurt, ice cream & fresh goat’s cheese? 
  • If you already grow your own fruit & veg, would you like to make jams, chutneys & wines?  
  • Have you ever thought you’d like to collect fresh, free range eggs from your own hens? 
  • We will explain the requirements, essentials and pros & cons of keeping livestock. 
  • We are also happy to come and spend a day with you to help you get set up. 
  • We can advise where your new project could be situated.  
  • If you are considering getting goats, chickens or bees, they require very secure fencing & housing.  This can run into quite a lot of expense, so before you decide, this course will help you decide if it is right for you.  
  • ​All course notes and recipes for home produce, etc are included.
Grow your Own Fruit & Veg Course:
  • Even with the smallest garden or outside space, you could grow your own salad leaves, rhubarb and herbs in pots.
  • If your garden is particularly warm and sheltered, you may be able to grow tomatoes in containers outside, but most gardens would require some form of greenhouse or polythene structure. 
  • Whatever your requirements, we can help you to get started growing your own. 
  • Constructing raised beds, sowing seeds, extending the harvest throughout the year, etc. 
  • This 1-day course covers all the aspects of getting started growing your own. 
  • If you already do grow some of your own but would like to learn more, this course can be tailored to suit individual requirements. 
  • All course notes are included.
  • If you prefer, we can come to you and spend the day helping you get set up in your own garden.
Keeping Chickens:
  • Chooks make wonderful pets, and a rooster is lovely to hear first thing in the morning.  
  • But they need quite a lot of space, so they are unsuitable for a small garden. 
  • Also, they need protection from dogs and foxes, so their run must be completely fenced in with chicken wire at least 1.5m high.  
  • They will be happier if they have a free run on a grass area as they love to peck around. 
  • They can be very destructive, and they won’t think twice about having a dust bath in your flower beds, destroying your plants in the process (or worse – your neighbour’s, if they can escape !!!). 
  • This course will cover all requirements of keeping hens,  feeding, health requirements, housing, etc. 
  • All course notes are included.  
  • We can also come to you to see if you have enough space and where they could be situated.
​Most of us remember the BBC TV series “The Good Life” and many people would love to take the plunge and live off the land.
It is possible, even in a small town garden, to produce something from a kitchen garden most of the year.
 
Would you like to know how to get started and find out what you might be able to do?
Why not sign up for one of our self sufficiency courses?
​
All Courses run from 10am until 4pm.
Starting with registration & morning coffee with home baked goodies at 9.30am
Lunch & samples of our home produce are also included.

All Courses: £80.00 (Min 2 people per course)

Special Package Offer:
Stay for 2 nights in our B&B:
2 nights B&B for two people
Including 1-Day Course: £300