2 Day Course

Cob Building

Discover the joy of building with earth

There is something deeply satisfying about building a wall with nothing but soil, straw, and your own hands. Cob building is one of the most accessible and creative ways to create a structure. It’s a method that invites you to slow down, connect with the material, and realize that building your own space – whether it’s a garden studio, a pizza oven, or a home – is entirely within your reach.

A Living Tradition

Across the British Isles, cob has been a staple for centuries. It’s a craft that links us to generations of builders who understood how to work with the landscape rather than against it. On our courses, we celebrate this heritage by showing you how those same principles apply today. We aren’t here to avoid modern tools; we use everything from traditional “cob dancing” to mechanical assistance to make the process efficient, fun, and manageable.

Introduction to Cob Building – 2-day course

Next dates: April 4th – 5th, Hay-on-Wye, Hereford

Join us for a two day dive into the world of cob building with experienced facilitator, Louise Southwell from mudlove. We will have a hands (and feet!) –on exploration of the key materials that make up cob; where to find them, how they feel and what they do for our buildings. With our trial mixes we will discover the rich, sculptable possibilities of the material and consider how we can use its unique structural properties to build ourselves useable structures. We will allow time to imagine; drawing on building science and simple passive solar design to model our own tiny homes, greenhouses, sheds and play houses. And of course, we will have plenty of time to ask questions about our dream projects and consider solutions drawing on many years of experience.
Awaken your intuition and jump in the mud with us.

Pricing

The course fee covers all teaching, materials, handouts and refreshments.

£270 – Sponsored/Income over 25k rate
£220 – Individual rate
£170 – Subsidised rate

We endeavour to make our courses and events affordable to all. Subsidised places are limited and are intended for those who truly cannot afford the standard rate. We don’t ask for any proof, but ask that you use your judgement when purchasing. Similarly, with the sponsored rate – if your place is being covered by your employer, we ask that you play a higher rate to provide access to those who need.

See full Terms and Conditions here.

Who is this course for?

This course is designed for everyone; beginners, builders and designers alike. There is a balance between theoretical knowledge, intuitive ‘building by feel’ and lots of practical mud stomping to awaken everyone’s imagination and belief that we can all build our own cob structure.

What to bring?

Sturdy, waterproof boots, waterproof coats and trousers, gardening/ DIY gloves (with rubber palms), tarpaulin 3m x 4m

Learning outcomes

How to source the materials needed to make cob
How to make a workable cob mix and what it feels like
How to build with cob to create walls, sculptures and structures
Understanding basic options for foundations, floors, windows, doors, roofs and plasters
Understanding basic passive solar design including the benefits and differences of insulation and thermal mass
Individual feedback and advice for your own dream project

Access and learning methods

This is a practical course hosted on a working farm. Those with reduced mobility or in wheelchairs should reach out to us for more information regarding the accessibility of the specific course site you’d like to join, and we can assess the options together.

Upcoming dates

If there are no dates listed below, or you are unavailable, please fill in an expression of interest here.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is included in the course cost?

Our prices include tuition, all materials, tools and equipment, and daily refreshments.

Are accommodation and food included?

Typically, neither accommodation, nor food, is included in the course cost. It will be clearly stated otherwise on the specific course booking page. Sometimes course hosts will be able to provide on-site camping or accommodation, but this is on a course-by-course basis. Hosts will always provide a list of local accommodation options (see specific course booking page). Typically, participants bring a packed lunch, and we eat together, though there may be local options depending on the training site.

What are the daily timings for the training?

Practical courses are usually 9am to 5pm. We ask people to arrive at 8.45 if they want a cuppa beforehand, and we’ll have breaks mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Lunch will be about 12.30 -1.30. Participants need to provide their own lunch, but light refreshments will be provided – tea/coffee/herbals etc. We normally finish at 4pm on the final day in case people have to travel.

Can all physical abilities join this course?

This is a practical training course, and can be quite physical. Participants need to be aware of this and be physically fit to take the course. If they have health needs or injuries, we will do our best to accommodate them, and participants are free to take time out over and above the breaks, mid-morning and afternoon, and at lunchtime, subject to informing the trainer. We ask that participants communicate their health needs to us prior to the course if at all possible, or to make the trainer aware before the course starts. If you are not able to fully participate in all of the practical work, you will still gain valuable learning from observing and asking questions.

What is your refund policy?

The full terms and conditions of purchasing a SNaB training course can be found here – this includes our refund policy.

How do participants arrive to the training?

The School of Natural Building believes in the urgency of the climate challenge, and our work is fundamentally about supporting a low-carbon future where people live in ways which bring us closer to the earth, back into community with our ecosystem and back to ourselves. For this reason, we urge participants to travel to our course locations via public or shared transport where possible. We’ll connect course participants via an optional WhatsApp group in advance of the course, to facilitate ride-sharing.

Thinking about hosting a course?

Are you a community group or a self-builder planning to construct a straw bale building? The School of Natural Building is here to help bring your vision to life. We offer a range of hands-on training courses that integrate directly into your build process, providing invaluable skills while advancing your project.

Learn More