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 latest issue of our Journal "Northern Edge" is published 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 Todmorden Community Hub starts on 9 March 2024. Read more about the course

Permaculture Design Course at Manchester Road Community Centre, Bury, North Manchester start on 27 April 2024. Read more about the course

Ecological Gardening Essential Training Course - Book now, to attend the 6 modules full course in winter and spring 2023.

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, how to structure your garden with permanent planting schemes using trees and other perennials, and how to incorporate and build wormeries in your garden. Find out more and book here

Ecological Gardening Essential Training Modules 

Book individual modules now. Winter and Spring 2023.

Art of Composting  11 February 2023 FULLY BOOKED

Self-watering Gardens  04 March 2023 FULLY BOOKED

Gardening with Trees and other Perennials 11 March 2023

Polycultures for Spring and Summer 01 April 2023

Vermicomposting 29 April 2023

Polycultures for Autumn and Winter 19 August 2023 

Home Medicine Workshops - Seasonal herbal medicine workshops with medical herbalist Edwina Hodkinson. Learn to stock your medicine cabinet with home made, health boosting medicines as the seasons turn. Places are limited so book early.

Spring Home Medicine 15 April 2023 FULLY BOOKED

Summer Home Medicine 17 June 2023 FULLY BOOKED

Autumn Home Medicine  23 September 2023 FULLY BOOKED

Winter Home Medicine  18 November 2023 FULLY BOOKED 

Gardening for Wildlife - FULLY BOOKED

A two day course to explore how to transform your garden into a safe haven for wildlife. One session in July and another in October, so you have the opportunity to work with the seasons to provide habitat for insects and small mammals. Read more

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 a previous 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

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

Pennine Food Links - a social enterprise providing healthy local food in the Central  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"

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

Open Money