Accredited FISA, LANTRA & NPTC Chainsaw Courses

From a ground based or aerial chainsaw course, all of our training is suited to those currently working, or aspiring to work, in Forestry, Arboriculture and land-based industries.

Our chainsaw training courses are FISA, LANTRA and NPTC accredited as recommended by HSE, to ensure you gain the necessary chainsaw certificate. All training is provided by fully qualified instructors and assessors.

Ground-based courses cover both Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications from chainsaw maintenance and cross cutting to severing uprooted trees. We also offer aerial chainsaw training from tree climbing and aerial rescue to aerial tree rigging.

Upcoming Chainsaw Training Dates

All course prices exclude VAT.

Ground Based Course Descriptions

Aerial Course Descriptions

Full Training Schedule

We run chainsaw courses and other machinery and woodland management training year round. Browse the calendar below to check availability or book a space, alternatively please contact us on 01488 685007 with any questions. We also provide onsite and bespoke training courses upon request.

All course prices exclude VAT.

‘We reserve the right to reschedule any course up to 7 days of its commencement if the courses do not fill, either an alternate date or a full refund will be offered’

Chainsaw Course FAQs

What’s the difference between an NPTC and a Lantra chainsaw certificate?

Both are recognised routes to a chainsaw certificate of competence, but they’re aimed at slightly different people. NPTC (now run jointly with City & Guilds) is the qualification most forestry and arboriculture employers expect as standard — it’s built and assessed unit by unit, from ground-based maintenance through to aerial rescue. Lantra covers much of the same ground but is pitched more broadly, including at people who need proof of competence without working in forestry full-time — gamekeepers, fencing contractors, smallholders, estate staff. We run both, plus FISA refresher training, so which one you book usually comes down to what your employer, insurer or ambitions actually call for.

Do I need a licence to use a chainsaw in the UK?

Not literally — there’s no government-issued “chainsaw licence” in Britain. What the law does require, under HSE guidance, is that anyone using a chainsaw at work is competent and properly trained, and a Lantra or NPTC certificate is how you demonstrate that. Using a chainsaw purely in your own garden carries no legal training requirement at all, though we’d still recommend it. The moment a chainsaw is part of your job, even occasionally, your employer has a duty to make sure you’ve been trained.

Why do some of your courses list “39-20” or “39-21” instead of CS30 or CS31?

Same qualifications, new names. NPTC retired the old CS-numbered system in favour of codes tied to the current national occupational standard, which is why our maintenance, cross-cutting and felling course now shows as “39-20/39-21” rather than CS30/31. If a job advert, employer or insurer still asks for “CS30” or “CS32,” don’t worry — that’s exactly what these courses cover, just under their current reference.

What’s the difference between your ground-based and aerial chainsaw courses?

Ground-based units — maintenance, cross-cutting, felling up to and over 380mm — are done with both feet on the ground and are where most people start. Aerial units build on that: tree climbing and rescue, aerial rigging, pruning, and working a chainsaw from a rope and harness, all assessed while you’re working in the canopy. Most aerial courses assume you already hold the relevant ground-based units before you climb.

Which chainsaw course should I book first?

If you’re aiming to work professionally in forestry or arb, our Chainsaw Maintenance, Cross-Cutting and Felling to 380mm course (39-20/39-21, formerly CS30/31) is the standard starting point most employers look for. If you use a chainsaw but not as a forestry professional — gamekeeping, fencing, smallholding — the shorter Lantra maintenance and cross-cutting course is usually a better fit. Not sure which applies to you? Call us on 01488 685007 and we’ll point you the right way.

Are Wessex Woodland Management’s chainsaw courses accredited?

Yes — every course we run carries NPTC, Lantra or FISA accreditation, the routes HSE names as recognised paths to a certificate of competence, and all our training is delivered by our own qualified instructors and assessors.

Where We Train

Most of our chainsaw courses run at our Training Lodge at Pauncefoot Hill, just outside Romsey in Hampshire. We also train at venues near Basingstoke, Hungerford and Newbury, and every date in the booking calendar shows which venue it uses.

• Romsey, Hampshire: Training Lodge, Pauncefoot Hill, Romsey SO51 6AA
• Basingstoke, Hampshire: Farleigh Wallop Estate, Basingstoke RG25 2HT
• Hungerford, West Berkshire: The Old Drier, Old Anvilles Lane, Cold Harbour, Hungerford RG17 0RY. The postcode doesn’t lead straight to the venue, so use what3words ///alpha.market.headings
• Newbury, West Berkshire: West Woodhay Farm, West Woodhay, Newbury RG20 0BS

That puts our courses within easy reach of Hampshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire, including Southampton, Winchester, Andover, Salisbury, Reading and Swindon. If none of these venues suit, we can run training on your own site for a group. Call us on 01488 685007 to talk it through.