The Northern School of Permaculture

"Permaculture Design is the first system of conscious, functional, design in the world. That's its unique aspect - its functional design is sustainable."

Bill Mollison (1928- 2016)

Find out more in this short video from the originators

News, Reports, Articles, Reflections

The summer edition of "Northern Edge" is now published.  Read it here.  Full of updates, features and details of "What's on" at the Northern School.  Ask for notification of the next publication here.

Up and coming

Permaculture Design Course at Warland Farm, near Todmorden starts on 12 October 2021 Read more and booking.

Forest Gardening workshop with Graham Bell at Warland Farm 29/30 October 2021. A not-to-be-missed opportunity to catch up with a lifetime's experience from Graham and Nancy of Garden Cottage fame.  Venue at an excellent location on the Lancashire/Yorkshire borders. Read more

Ecological Gardening Workshops - We are back in action, from 11th September 2021 with the series of practical workshops you asked for to get you up and gardening with nature's patterns.

In the current programme, you can learn how to get started with edible polycultures, how to embed self-watering systems in the garden that work for you and your plants, how to select the ideal composting systems for your specific needs and site, and how to structure your garden with permanent planting schemes using perennials. Find out more and book here

Seasonal Talks. We are working on the upcoming monthly, online talks programme. Watch this space and check the last series. Explore the past programme

Ecological Gardens Design Course - Read More

Introduction to Permaculture Design Course online - Read more 

Permaculture Design Course Online - Dates for next year coming soon. 

Details of  other events will follow. e-mail us

Catch up / complete your design course

Many of our design courses are modular - see available days.

What the students say: graduates from the recent Design Course at Chorley talk about the course:

Graduates from our 2014 PDC course at Chorley talk about their projects and how the course has helped them

Video release "Agriculture vs Permaculture" from Jack Hill featuring interviews from the Northern School.

The oldest permaculture food forest in Britain  - from our friends Graham and Nancy at Coldstream in Scotland

Our guild has links to other guilds and organisations who acknowledge the power of "open source" working:

Permaculture Research Institute - the PRI is pre-eminent coherent authority on world-wide Permaculture The PRI has accredited our Permaculture Design Certificate course (PDC) and we are seeking closer working relations with them

Permaculture Institute of North Britain - a guild of design practitioners that regulates the Northern School

Permaculture Research Institute Tap o' Noth - a PRI accredited smallholding in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

CommEnt CIC - a community interest company based in the North West of England. A supporter of our School and the North Britain Institute.

Burnley Food Links - a social enterprise providing healthy local food in the West Pennine region

Permaculture in Maurituis - projects and co-operatives from our associates in the Indian Ocean

Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) Africa - we are working with them to develop holistic training and cultural exchange across continents and climate zones

Permaculture Research Foundation Malta - originators of the key permaculture mediterranian drylands project "Bahrija Oasis"

West Pennine Permaculture - a website supporting community application of permacultur in the region around Lancashire, UK

Permaculture Association (Britain) - we are members of this charity promoting permaculture in the UK

Open Money