A YOUNG Somerset-born craftsman has taken over a workshop in the Quantock Hills to continue a tradition of making handmade chairs first created by country carpenters 300 years ago.

Alex Ward recently returned to West Somerset to take over the chair-making workshop near Spaxton of renowned cabinet-maker Colin Foxhall, to whom he was apprenticed in 2021.

Now, working under the name Handmade Chairs, Mr Ward is producing exquisite Windsor armchairs, often known as ‘granny’s chairs’, to designs dating back to the 1720s, using traditional techniques and locally-sourced timber.

Mr Ward said: “One of the things I value most about the work is the connection it creates to the local landscape.

“There is something special about making furniture in Somerset from materials sourced from the surrounding countryside.”

Before completing his apprenticeship, Mr Ward gained a first class honours degree in design making, and later worked in leading London design studios before returning to the workshop in which he learned the chair-making craft.

During his apprenticeship, he developed the intricate skills required to make Windsor chairs by hand, shaping green timber, steam-bending components, and assembling each piece using traditional methods designed to make a comfortable chair which has strength and longevity.

Apart from making Windsor armchairs, Mr Ward also offers other traditional designs as well as modern English and American chairs.

He said: "I have always felt drawn to making things with my hands.

"While my time in London was incredibly valuable, returning to Somerset to work with timber in a quiet workshop feels like a natural step.

“It is a privilege to carry on Colin Foxhall's legacy and to help ensure this craft continues.

“At a time when interest in traditional skills and long-lasting furniture is growing, the continuation of the workshop offers handmade chairs built to last generations.”