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
Book a visit
Opening times for 3 December 2024
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.
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Dogs allowed
Bookshop
Guided tour
Café
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 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.
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
Make a Silver Ring in a Day with the Bishopsland Educational Trust
25 January: design and make your own silver ring, including setting a semi-precious stone.
2 Day Make a Silver Jewellery Set with the Bishopsland Educational Trust
1-2 March: over two days, you'll design and make a brooch, and your choice of second item - either a pendant, earrings or a bangle.
Introduction to Blacksmithing
8 March, 10 April, 14 June, 18 July, 4 October: enjoy a full day course getting to grips with the basics of blacksmithing.
Make a Willow Obelisk
8 March and 10 April: make a willow obelisk for your garden, ready for growing peas and beans in the summer.
Make a Set of Silver Stacker Rings in a Day with the Bishopsland Educational Trust
29 March January: design and make your own set of silver stacking rings.
Introduction to Weaving on a Rigid Heddle Loom
29 March: explore the art of weaving on a rigid heddle loom.
Make a Silver Bracelet or Bangle in a Day with the Bishopsland Educational Trust
26 April: design and make your own silver bracelet or bangle.
Block Printing
26 April: learn the key skills of block printing and print a bag or tea towel to take home.
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.