The Marchmont Workshop is run by Richard Platt and Sam Cooper. Our story begins in 2018, when we both stumbled across an advert on a green woodworking group on facebook. Lawrence Neal, then the last full time rush seated chair-maker in the UK, with the help of Hugo Burge and the Heritage Crafts Association, was looking for apprentices to carry on a chairmaking tradition dating back to 1890.

Lawrence started making chairs with his father in their Stockton workshop in 1966, and had never had the opportunity to train anyone and pass on his knowledge. Enter Hugo Burge, long time supporter of Lawrence and lover of the Arts and Crafts movement, who generously offered to sponsor two apprentices to ensure the craft continued for many years to come. We were interviewed in March 2018 and started just a few weeks later.

Over the next 2 years, Lawrence devoted his time to teaching us everything he knew about rush seated chairs. From how to select the correct ash and oak logs to mill for chairs and how to harvest and process our own rush to weave strong but comfortable seats, to turning delicate spindles, elegant chair legs and everything in between. We learnt on the job from day one, first working on the lathe or shave-horse producing parts for chairs, then honing our weaving technique on practice chairs and re-seating jobs.

Towards the end of our apprenticeship, we were nominated for and won the 2020 HCA Trainee of the Year award in recognition of our development and dedication to continuing a tradition passed down through 5 previous generations. Though in truth, most of the credit must go to Lawrence for allowing us into his world and passing on his knowledge, and that of the makers before him.

In March 2020 we started the move to our current premises, the Lorimer garages in the grounds of Marchmont House, recently renovated as part of the Marchmont Creative Spaces project by Hugo Burge. They provided the perfect environment to launch our own venture as the first creative tenants at Marchmont continuing the legacy of Lawrence, and all those before us. A bumpy couple of months ensued, small building delays and a global pandemic pushed us back, but eventually at the start of July we were able to officially launch ‘The Marchmont Workshop’, the first new facility making rush seated chairs to open up in 54 years.

Equipped with knowledge and patterns passed down from 5 previous generations of chairmakers, we hit the ground running and soon our order book had grown to 18 months, with customers all over the country. The upgrade in space also allowed us to expand on our repertoire, making tables and other furniture inspired by the designs of Ernest Gimson and the Arts and Crafts movement. One of our first large orders being to kit out the new Common Room in the Creative Spaces for a growing community of artists to enjoy.

Now a few years into our journey, we have moved from strength to strength, offering courses in rush seating while producing more chairs year on year and introducing designs of our own, and even plan to take on an Apprentice of our own.