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![Lime Course run in partnership with SPAB](http://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/gallery/website/national/regions/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/places/heritage-and-rural-skills-centre/library/1607007.jpg?auto=webp&width=676&crop=16:9&dpr=2 2x)
Opening times for 3 July 2024
Asset Opening time Exhibition Closed Cafe 10:00 - 16:00 Second-hand Bookshop 10:00 - 16:00 Book a visitPlease take a look at Upcoming Events under Things to See and Do for a list of course dates and availability.
MTWTFSS123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930311234Available 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
![Work tables in the teaching studio at the Heritage and Rural Skills Centre, Oxfordshire](http://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/gallery/website/national/regions/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/places/heritage-and-rural-skills-centre/library/teaching-studio-at-heritage-and-rural-skills-centre-1741728.jpg?auto=webp&width=733&crop=16:9&dpr=2 2x)
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
![Volunteers talking to a resident wood carver in their studio at the Heritage and Rural Skills Centre, Oxfordshire](http://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/gallery/website/national/regions/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/places/heritage-and-rural-skills-centre/library/volunteers-at-heritage-and-rural-skills-centre-1741767.jpg?auto=webp&width=733&crop=16:9&dpr=2 2x)
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
![Visitors looking around the exhibition in a converted farm building at the Heritage and Rural Skills Centre, Oxfordshire](http://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/gallery/website/national/regions/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/places/heritage-and-rural-skills-centre/library/exhibition-at-heritage-and-rural-skills-centre-1741712.jpg?auto=webp&width=505&crop=16:9&dpr=2 2x)
Guided Tours - Coleshill Home Farm and Skills Centre
Every Thursday and Saturday, 1pm and 2.30pm: discover the historic Coleshill Home Farm and learn more about the Heritage and Rural Skills Centre now housed here. Free for National Trust members, otherwise tickets cost £3 per adult and £1.50 per child (under 18).
![A lime plaster demonstration at the Heritage and Rural Skills Centre](http://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/gallery/website/national/regions/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/places/heritage-and-rural-skills-centre/library/plaster-demonstration-at-the-heritage-and-rural-skills-centre-1741725.jpg?auto=webp&width=505&crop=16:9&dpr=2 2x)
CONSERVATE: a Heritage Skills Conference
20 September: a new conference exploring skills from the past, fit for the future. We're bringing together industry professionals in heritage craft, conservation, and rural skills to explore the challenges and opportunities within the sector. £25 per person or £36.50 including lunch.
![A craftsperson carving wood in his studio at the National Trust Heritage and Rural Skills Centre](http://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/gallery/website/national/regions/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/places/heritage-and-rural-skills-centre/library/wood-carver-in-studio-at-heritage-skills-centre-1741764.jpg?auto=webp&width=505&crop=16:9&dpr=2 2x)
2 Day Advanced Wood Carving Course
7 and 8 September, 9am-5pm daily: learn more advanced carving skills as you work on your own piece in this weekend course. £295 per person (£221 for under 25s), all tools and materials included.
![Fabric with a block-printed pattern](http://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/gallery/website/national/regions/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/places/heritage-and-rural-skills-centre/library/block-printing-at-the-heritage-and-rural-skills-centre.jpg?auto=webp&width=505&crop=16:9&dpr=2 2x)
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.
![Blacksmiths working at a forge at the National Trust Heritage and Rural Skills Centre](http://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/gallery/website/national/regions/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/places/heritage-and-rural-skills-centre/library/blacksmiths-at-the-heritage-and-rural-skills-centre-1741690.jpg?auto=webp&width=505&crop=16:9&dpr=2 2x)
Intermediate Blacksmithing Course
11 September, 9.30am-5pm: a full day workshop learning more advanced blacksmithing skills with Master Blacksmith David Gregory. £225 per person (£168 for under 25s), all tools and materials included.
![Letters being carved into a block of wood](http://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/gallery/website/national/regions/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/places/heritage-and-rural-skills-centre/library/letter-cutting-in-wood-at-the-heritage-and-rural-skills-centre.jpg?auto=webp&width=505&crop=16:9&dpr=2 2x)
2 Day Introduction to Letter Cutting in Wood
21 and 22 September, 9am-5pm daily: explore the various processes of letter cutting in wood 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.
Eating and shopping
![An image of two adjacent single-storey brick buildings housing the Carpenters Canteen Cafe and secondhand bookshop on the Coleshill Estate in Oxfordshire](http://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/gallery/website/national/regions/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/places/buscot-and-coleshill-estates/library/carpenters-canteen-cafe--secondhand-bookshop-coleshill-estate-oxfordshire-1578664.jpg?auto=webp&width=733&crop=16:9&dpr=2 2x)
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.
![The exterior of Lock Cottage, Oxfordshire](http://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/gallery/website/holidays/library/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/lock-cottage/lock-cottage-oxfordshire-exterior-from-water.jpg?auto=webp&width=505&crop=16:9&dpr=2 2x)
Lock Cottage
A charming and cosy Thames-side cottage with a pretty garden close to the Thames Path.
![The exterior of Old Slaughter House, Oxfordshire](http://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/gallery/website/holidays/library/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/old-slaughter-house/oldslaughterhouse-exterior-johnmiller-june20212.jpg?auto=webp&width=505&crop=16:9&dpr=2 2x)
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 and 2.30pm: discover the historic Coleshill Home Farm and learn more about the Heritage and Rural Skills Centre now housed here.
Introduction to Blacksmithing Workshop
16 October: enjoy a full day workshop getting to grips with the basics of blacksmithing.
Open Day
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.
Rupert Aker exhibition at the Heritage and Rural Skills Centre
31 July - 1 September, Tuesdays-Sundays 11am-3pm: an exhibition of artworks by Cotswold-based artist Rupert Aker.
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.
![Carved bust by Tom Ball](http://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/gallery/website/national/regions/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/places/heritage-and-rural-skills-centre/library/9e930a4a-9b98-4757-84e9-e07905918bae.jpg?auto=webp&width=733&crop=16:9&dpr=2 2x)
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.