Our story

Nettlecombe Craft School was born of a long-held desire to provide a space for people to come together in community and craft. We have felt first-hand the vast and broad benefits that are derived from craft, community and nature, and wish to enable as many people as possible to learn about natural materials and craft skills in this environment. Craft is so much more than just design and manufacture, it is deeply rooted in a slower pace, a more attuned existence and a delicate approach to the natural environment. These principles are extremely powerful in creating peace in an increasingly chaotic world, and it is this that we hope to share with as broad a variety of people as we can.

Situated on the eastern edge of Exmoor National Park, Nettlecombe Craft School is nestled amongst a young but beautiful woodland. The workshop was crafted by hand from coppiced roundwood Sweet Chestnut in a method sympathetic to its surroundings, it is the realisation of a long-held dream to create and provide a space for community and craft to flourish.

We believe firmly that engagement with craft can not only serve to maintain and develop heritage skills and traditions but can also act as an extremely effective tool in supporting the wellness, connection and mental health of individuals. When we slow down and notice the world around us, we make more sense of it and begin to feel a part of it, rather than at odds with it. The modern world can be fast and loud. We intend to provide a slower, quieter means of existence, sensitive to and in harmony with the natural world.

Spaces such as these can suffer from a lack of availability to the communities which would benefit the most from them. We believe that everyone should have access to the restorative and creative space that a woodland provides, and it is our intention to make our space available to as wide a range of people and communities as possible.

Founded in 2023, Nettlecombe Craft School is a multi-disciplinary centre, whose main priorities are to revivify the knowledge and understanding of heritage crafts, provide a safe space for people to engage in these activities, and create a community around these mutually held principles.

Our aims

To share our passion for heritage crafts and skills, enhancing the knowledge and understanding of these elements whilst providing a safe, comfortable space from which to achieve these aims.
To provide as many of the mental health and well-being benefits that being amongst nature can provide, to as diverse a range of people as possible.
To create community around craft and being outdoors, to a broad range of participants who may otherwise not have access to these spaces.
To actively manage and support the woodland in order to create products and services, whilst enhancing the health and biodiversity of the woodland.

“The world in which we live is increasingly remote. We often exist separate from one another, so community has become more scarce, whilst loneliness increases.

We intend to provide a space where people can come together in community to learn about natural materials, interact with the natural world and use its resources to create beautiful items sourced from, and in harmony with, the natural world.”