Windsor chairs: The Chairmaker

I'm Colin Foxhall. I make Windsor Chairs, and sometimes, some other things in wood. I live and work in the Tamar Valley, one of the most beautiful in the UK, and now designated as an 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty'. On the slopes in the background you can see a few of the remains of the engine houses with their chimneys, which used to bring prosperity to the area during the 19th century mining boom. I'm standing in front of my store building, which I built from the ruins of the original Capeltor farm cottages. Inside, my chairmaking materials are kept under ideal conditions while they dry naturally, however long that may take.

I enjoy working here. My workshop is a former cider making barn located in the old orchard, now restored, and stocked with local varieties of apple trees. Here I can give chairmaking my full attention.

My craft has been self taught over a long time. My background in engineering has given me a sound understanding of the principles which make Windsor Chairs some of the strongest and longest lasting items of furniture available. I have developed techniques which use the expansion and contraction of wood as it gains and loses moisture to actually tighten the joints as they dry out in a centrally heated atmosphere. I use small machines, many of which I have made myself, to reduce the less interesting work in removing waste wood, and giving me more time to concentrate on the shape of components and the overall form of the chair.

Photo by kind permission of Chris Chapman. www.chrischapmanphotography.com

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Contact information

Electronic mail address - colinwindsorchair.co.uk (to reduce spam this is not an active link so you will need to type this address in full in the "to" box of your email)