Our archery courses are suitable for adults, teens or children aged 10 years and over.

Safety and etiquette on the archery range
Use of a longbow to competent standard
The history of archers from medieval times to the present day - with the chance to try on some armour!
Aiming
Stance and posture
Consistency and use of anchor points
Scoring
Obtaining a clean release
Nocking arrows smoothly and swiftly
Choosing the right equipment
Caring for archery equipment

All archery courses take place at White Dragon Activity Centre. In winter (October to March), we shoot indoors and in summer (April to September) we shoot outdoors.
The outdoor and indoor ranges have different car parks. Check the Directions page to make sure you come to the right one!

Wednesday and Sunday nights. Kids’ and guardians’ courses are 5-6pm, adults’ courses are 6-7pm,.
You can come on just Wednesdays, just Sundays, both (if you want to finish the course quicker), or mix it up from week to week.

We teach in small groups, so you can join anytime. There’s no set start dates. Your instructor will start you off with the basics in your first session, and you’ll be with other beginner archers.

Absolutely not. It’s a myth that all longbows are difficult to pull back. After all, in Tudor times, boys as young as 7 had to train every Sunday!
Bows come in different strengths, and we have suitable equipment for children, strong adults, and less strong adults.

You’ll shoot with Jess, Mark or sometimes Sam. They’re all highly experienced, DBS-checked and longbow archers with six to 30+ years’ experience in shooting and coaching. Between them, they’ve taught thousands of beginner archers. All three instructors take a friendly, relaxed approach to teaching, with a keen eye on safety. They’re also really interested in the history and legends of the sport - feel free to ask any questions you have about archers of old (or even stuff you’ve seen on TV!)

Archery trainees shoot on the same nights that the EASTAC archery club meets. You’ll be with other beginner archers and your instructor, but some of the club members are usually around too. They’re really nice and always happy to answer any questions you have about archery!

You said “WITH” my kid, right? Just checking. Yes, if you’re an adult shooting with your child, you can have adult-level tuition at the children’s rate. We call this the Guardian course.
If you decide to join the club at the end, there are also discounts for people living together or shooting with their child.

Absolutely! Archery is a great sport to watch and whether we’re shooting outdoors (summer) or indoors (winter), there’s always somewhere cosy for spectators to sit with a cup of tea or coffee and cheer on the action.

Please don’t be. Our club is really inclusive and welcomes anyone. As long as you’re nice, polite to others and willing to learn, you’ll fit right in! Current club members and beginner archers are aged from 10 to 80+, a mixture of men and women. They come from diverse backgrounds and include nerdy Star Wars fans as well as corporate high-flyers and keen athletes.
We’re LGBTQIA+ friendly, autism-friendly and… well, pretty much everyone-friendly!
If you’ve tried archery or other sports elsewhere and been put off by the culture, you might like our group.

We’ll provide all the archery equipment. Just wear stout flat shoes and clothes with a belt (to hang your quiver of arrows on). Be aware that archery involves raising your arms, so check at home if anything you’re wearing rides up uncomfortably.
If it’s cold, bring some warm layers. And if you need glasses or contacts, wear them. That’s it!

We recommend not buying a bow until you’ve done the course. It’s easy to buy the wrong equipment and end up with something that’s too weak or too strong for you, or arrows that aren’t right for your bow.
Good archery kit needn’t be expensive, but it’s annoying to buy the wrong thing and regret it later. Your instructor will help you take the required measurements to get the right stuff, and give you unbiased advice on where to buy quality at good value.
It’s exciting starting an awesome new hobby, but there’s no rush. We provide equipment throughout your course, and even after completing it, many archers continue to use club equipment for a few weeks while they find the right gear.

You’re welcome to join the EASTAC archery club if you’re already competent (a quick demonstration of skill may be requested).