Heritage and Rural Skills Centre
Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire & BerkshireA 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
Book a visit
Opening times for 24 August 2025
Asset Opening time Exhibition Closed Book a visitThe Heritage and Rural Skills Centre is open for tours, courses and exhibitions. Please click the 'Things to see and do' tab for more information.
MTWTFSS2829303112345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031OpenPartially openClosed- Available for functions
- Bookshop
- Café
- Car park
- Dogs allowed
- Guided tour
- Toilet
- Accessible toilet
- Designated parking
- Ramped access/slopes
- 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 Blake's Kitchen 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 Wood
13-14 September: explore the various processes of letter cutting in wood as you create your own small plaque in this weekend course. £325 per person (£245 for under 25s), all tools and materials included.
2 Day Glass Painting Course
11-12 October: this two-day course will guide you through the process of creating your own painted glass piece. No experience required, suitable for adult beginners. £245 per person (£190 for under 25s), 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
Bishopsland Educational Trust Summer School: Stone Setting
27-29 August: a 3-day, intermediate-to-advanced course to learn square setting.
Guided Tours: Secrets of Coleshill
17 April to 11 October, 1pm and 2.30pm Thursdays and Saturdays: find out more about some of the lesser-known chapters of the estate’s history and look behind the scenes of the Heritage and Rural Skills Centre.
Intermediate Blacksmithing
4 September: a full day workshop learning more advanced blacksmithing skills with Master Blacksmith David Gregory.
2 Day Introduction to Letter Cutting in Wood
13-14 September: explore the various processes of letter cutting in wood as you create your own small plaque in this weekend course.
Make a Set of Silver Stacker Rings in a Day with the Bishopsland Educational Trust
13 September and 25 October: design and make your own set of silver stacking rings.
The Art of Traditional Faux Marbling
Learn how to create professional-looking traditional faux marble paint techniques in this intensive one day course.
Make a Silver Ring in a Day with the Bishopsland Educational Trust
20 September: explore the insightful process of making a silver ring which you will design, make and take home.
The Art of Traditional Wood Graining
Learn how to create high-quality, traditional wood graining paint techniques in this one day 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.
