Heritage and Rural Skills Centre
A centre to champion skills from the past, fit for the future, for everyone for ever.
Heritage & Rural Skills Centre, Buscot and Coleshill Estate, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN6 7PT
Important notice
Opening times for 6 May 2024
Asset Opening time Exhibition Closed Cafe Closed Second-hand Bookshop Closed Please take a look at Upcoming Events under Things to See and Do for a list of course dates and availability.
MTWTFSS29301234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303112OpenPartially openClosedAvailable for functions
Dogs
Book shop
Guided tour
Cafe
Toilet
Car park
Accessible toilet
Ramped access/slopes
Designated parking
Steps/uneven terrain
By road
Coleshill village on B4019 between Faringdon and Highworth.
Parking: at Buscot village; Coleshill estate office
By train
Swindon 10 miles
Heritage & Rural Skills Centre, Buscot and Coleshill Estate, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN6 7PT
Venue hire
Venue hire at the Heritage and Rural Skills Centre
Find out more about hosting your workshop, lecture or meetings at the Heritage and Rural Skills Centre, or rent a studio space.
Highlights
Courses
We offer a range of heritage and rural craft courses for professionals, beginners and hobbyists. Head to Things to See and Do for our full list of courses.
Exhibitions
Explore Coleshill's creative legacy and why heritage and rural skills are so important, through permanent and pop up exhibitions at the centre.
Room Hire
Use one of our spaces to host your own course, email buscotandcoleshill@nationaltrust.org.uk for more information.
Visitor Centre
Enjoy refreshments at Blake's Kitchen in Carpenter's Yard, peruse the Wheelwright's Second Hand Book Shop and learn more about this creative estate and the wider Buscot & Coleshill Estate.
Things to see and do
Visiting the Heritage and Rural Skills Centre
Drop in for refreshments at the Carpenters’ Canteen and browse the Wheelwright’s second-hand bookshop. Book on to one of our courses to learn or develop heritage and rural skills. And on selected days, you can join a tour to visit parts of the Centre and enjoy exhibitions which explore the creative legacy of the Coleshill estate.
Spotlight events
2 Day Introduction to Letter Cutting in Stone
15 - 16 June, 9am-5pm daily: explore the various processes of letter cutting in stone as you create your own small plaque in this weekend course, led by master carver Tom Ball. £295 per person (£221 for under 25s), all tools and materials included.
Willow Trug Making
29 June, 10.30am-4pm: learn about the traditional craft of basket making as you create a square-based willow trug to take home. £85 per person, all tools and materials included.
Block Printing Workshop
7 September, 10am-4pm: learn the key skills of block printing and print a bag or tea towel to take home. £90 per person (£68 for under 25s), all tools and materials included.
2 Day Stained Glass Course (Leaded Method)
7 and 8 September, 9am-5pm daily: complete a small stained glass panel to take home in this full weekend course. £195 per person, all tools and materials included.
Eating and shopping
Eating and shopping at the Buscot and Coleshill Estates
The two estates and their villages offer convenient spots for refreshments, lunch or cream teas, a cosy country pub and a smattering of local shops.
Places to stay
If you’re travelling for a course and would like to make use of nearby National Trust accommodation, try one of the estate cottages.
Lock Cottage
A charming and cosy Thames-side cottage with a pretty garden close to the Thames Path.
Old Slaughter House
A charming cottage that’s perfect for a simple country break.
Upcoming events
Guided Tours - Coleshill Home Farm and Skills Centre
Thursdays and Saturdays, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm: discover the historic Coleshill Home Farm and learn more about the Heritage and Rural Skills Centre now housed here.
Open Day
12 May, 9 June, 14 July and 11 August: visit our exhibition and join guided tours of the Heritage and Rural Skills Centre as part of our Coleshill Village Open Days.
2 Day Stained Glass Course (Leaded Method)
7-8 September: complete a small stained glass panel to take home in this full weekend course.
Willow Trug Making
29 June, 10.30am-4pm: learn traditional basket-making skills as you create a willow trug to take home.
An Introduction to Pargeting
8 June, 9am-5pm: a unique opportunity to learn the endangered craft of pargeting from one of the country’s highest regarded pargeters.
2 Day Introduction to Letter Cutting in Stone
15-16 June: explore the various processes of letter cutting in stone as you create your own small plaque in this weekend course.
About Heritage and Rural Skills Centre
The Heritage and Rural Skills Centre is developing a programme for conservation, rooted on a working estate, where skilled craftspeople share their passion and expertise with professionals and amateurs alike.
Our work
We share and develop heritage conservation skills via beginners’ courses, space for local groups and rental units for professional craftspeople seeking a community environment.
Our work at the Heritage and Rural Skills Centre
We share and develop heritage conservation skills via beginners’ courses, space for local groups, and rental units for professional craftspeople seeking a creative community environment.