furniture school
Next course: TBC. New for 2025! We’re delighted to offer a Marquetry weekend course taught by Audrey Fasquelle, a highly experienced craftsperson and recognised as a Master FurnitureMaker for her marquetry work by the Furniture Makers Company.
Keep up-to-date with RHS news about Taster week courses, Weekend classes and Student work here on our Instagram account.
Next course: 19th July 2025.
Steam bending is an ancient woodworking process which is found on every continent.
Charlie is the UK’s leading steam bending expert; his work is sold internationally and can be found in museums, private residences and commercial premises.
Cost: £240 – 1 day.
Next courses: 11th & 12th Oct. 2025.
An ideal course for anyone who wants to learn more about finishing techniques and get some practical, hands-on experience. Cost: £295. Tutor: Marc Fish.
Next courses: 24th, 25th & 26th Oct. 2025.
Learn how to make a wooden plane. This will involve skills such as band-sawing, routing, drilling, shaping with a spokeshave, sanding and finishing. A 3 day course. Cost: £400. Tutor: Theo Cook.
Next date: 3rd – 7th Nov, 2025.
If you’re looking to expand your machine woodworking skills, our 5-day hands-on wooden stool making course is for you.
£825.
Next course: 15th & 16th Nov. 2025. Ideal if you want to know more about the mark of a master craftsman – the dovetail joint! When well-executed it is the epitome of high-level work. Cost: £295.
Next course: 29th & 30th Nov. 2025.
We are delighted to have Dickie join us to offer would be woodcarvers chance to explore this ancient art form with a master of the craft.
Cost £295. Tutor: Dickie Baugh.
Next course: Date TBC.
Experience these amazing techniques and take your work to a different level! As laminating is more accurate than steam bending, it is ideal for combining sculptural work with fine cabinet making.
Cost: £295. Tutor: Marc Fish.
Next course: Date TBC.
A one day course on French polishing with shellac, run by Derek Jones, once editor of Furniture & Cabinetmaking magazine and author of French Polishing, Finishing & Restoring Using Traditional Techniques.
Cost £195.
Next courses: 2025 Dates TBC.
This course provides hands-on experience of the sophisticated techniques used in the composites industry.
Cost £480. Tutor: Theo Cook.
Next course: date TBA.
Learn how to make your own jigs and templates at this one-day course with senior tutor and master craftsman, Theo Cook.
The course covers making jigs by hand as well as the use of CAD programs, laser-cutter, and a CNC router. Cost: £195.00.
Next course: dates TBA.
Covering hand tools, there will be practical sessions on planing, sawing and chiseling – forming the ideal starting point for cutting and fitting accurate joints.
Cost: £150. Tutor: Theo Cook.
Next course: date TBA.
This one-day introductory course is designed to help attendees understand and apply different approaches to veneering.
£195 for one day course.
Next course: dates TBA. The spindle moulder is a versatile machine – we cover safe use and setup, rebating, shaping, using formers, tenons, power feeds, jig making, and guarding.
Cost: £295. Tutor: Derek Jones.
Next course: date TBA.
For either a beginner or an intermediate. If you’ve invested in new machines and want to know how to safely use or set them up, on this two day course you can learn from the professionals! Cost: £295. Tutor: Marc Fish.
Next course: 2025 dates TBC.
This three day course takes you through completing a three-legged stool. Using through-tenoned construction (now known as “staked”construction) is a skill worth learning for any furniture maker. Three legs instead of four means the stool will never wobble, no matter what floor it’s sitting on, the mortise layout is simple, and, of course, there’s one less leg to make!
Cost: £295. Tutor: Derek Jones.
Next course: 2025 dates TBC. Japanese style joinery can be extremely complicated but there are occasions when simplicity and function come together to make the perfect form.
Cost: £295. Tutor: Derek Jones.
Next course: 2025 dates TBC.
The six board chest is a design that is almost as old as the concept of furniture itself and is as relevant today as it has ever been.
Cost: £295. Tutor: Derek Jones.
Next course: TBA.
This course is taught by expert maker Derek Jones. The key principles for building a cricket table are simplicity, necessity and ingenuity. Using just two types of joint it’s possible to create a robust structure from almost any species of wood that can be used to make a variety of different pieces of furniture.