This summer, make an heirloom.
You’ve been dreaming of taking your woodworking to the next level. Join us to make a Shaker side table with a dovetail drawer – a piece of fine furniture to last many lifetimes.
Welcome.
We teach Fine Furniture Making in our workshop in Scotney Castle. Our full-time course is City & Guilds accredited.
Whether starting fresh, deepening a passion, or pursuing a new path, we equip you with skills for your creative journey. Our graduates are Designer-Makers working in their own workshops or with renowned studios.
One Year Furniture Making Course
The full-time programme is our flagship course for everyone, regardless of previous experience. From career transitioners to college graduates, from retired hobbyists to those seeking to discover a new passion. This course takes you on a journey to become a fine furniture maker.
Short Woodworking Courses
Learn the fundamentals of fine woodworking in five focused days, building confidence with hand tools through guided exercises in sharpening, planing and joinery. You’ll finish by making a two-sided marquetry games board to take home.
Build a traditional Shaker side table with a dovetail drawer in Cherry. Designed for those with some prior experience.
This course takes place over three weeks: the first week takes place 27th – 31st July 2026. The remaning 10 days can be spread flexibly over many months to suit your time and needs.
Week 1: 27th – 31st July 2026 – you must be able to attend this first week
Weeks 2 and 3 can be completed flexibly and arranged at times that suit, or you can continue and complete your course on the following dates:
Week 2: 10th – 14th August 2026
Week 3: 17th – 21st August 2026
You may purchase week 1 only or the complete course. You can also pay in installments.
Over five focused days, you’ll build a finely crafted keepsake box in oak and cedar, learning to cut clean dovetails by hand, make a traditional frame-and-panel lid and fit an aromatic cedar of Lebanon base. Each joint deepens your accuracy, confidence and understanding of fine handwork. Ideal for those who’ve completed our Marquetry Games Board course or already have basic chisel and joinery skills.
This course is for practitioners, technicians and teachers responsible for the safe setup, operation and maintenance of woodworking machinery, as well as those new to woodworking who want to learn to use workshop machines safely and correctly from the outset.
Step into a serene and sensorial expierience as we make a three-legged milking stool. A perfect retreat for women who want to re-connect with themselves and nature.
A Short Course Gift Voucher can be redeemed against one of our in-person short courses, with dates chosen later by the recipient. It’s an ideal way to give the gift of time, craft and learning, while allowing flexibility around schedules.
Redeeming Your Gift Voucher: Every purchased gift card has a unique code. When you purchase a gift card, you can email the code to your gift recipient to redeem against a course. They simply pick a course and dates, add it to the basket, and enter the voucher code during check out.
The school is a small, specialised teaching workshop led by Peter Quin, a Master Furniture Maker with over 30 years of teaching experience. Alongside his team of expert tutors, he shares the craft with students from all walks of life.
Our Story
Get in touch.
We’d love to hear from you, where you are in your life at the moment and what is drawing you to furniture-making.
Being a small school, our tutors are always teaching. If you’re thinking of applying for our full-time course, we can arrange a school tour with our Principal Peter.
Please check your spam as we always respond, even if it takes us a little while – we don’t have office staff!