The Windsor Workshop

An amazing experience, James Mursell is brilliant.
One of the finest chair makers in the country.The
perfect teacher, his passion and knowledge of his
subject is infectious. I could listen to him all day.
He was so kind and helpful when one made numerous mistakes. At the end of the week I have
made a beautiful Windsor chair. I can’t believe it!
I am so thrilled with what I have accomplished,
but of course with James subtle help. I would recommend the course to anyone, both male and
female, it is not brute force and ignorance. Listen to James and you will succeed. My family are
genuinely in awe and proud of what I have achieved. James wife puts on the most delicious lunches, coffee and tea breaks in their charming Dining Room. Once again thank you James for a
week to remember and I have a family heirloom.

Just spent the last week making a classic Windsor Chair.
My husband and I did the course together, staying in the cosy, well equipped workshop studio, just a few yards from the main work shop.
All tools and materials are supplied and for folk like us with no previous experience, every step in the construction process was clearly explained and supervised.
The workshop was well equipped with large in situ equipment and small tools invented by James specially for making the chairs.
Lunch, tea and coffee were also provided by Louise, James' wife and was tasty and varied and gave the group a chance to catch up and get to know each other.
The quality of the materials is very high and we are so pleased with the results. We have two bespoke chairs that hopefully will last generations.
We cannot thank James enough for his patience and expertise.
We can highly recommend the course to anyone of varying abilities wanting to produce something to be proud of.

I've been on many courses over the years and this is by far one of the very best. Spacious workshop, sharp tools, and working at a good and measured pace. James is an excellent teacher with plenty of patience. I think above all he let us students do most things so learning new skills was a great bonus. Beautiful setting, lovely lunches and great company. Must not forget Wally the course labrador. I'd recommend this course to anyone who wants to make a Windsor Chair.

I could not rate this highly enough. Very professionally run. Great fun. So rewarding. And at the end you have a fantastic chair to take home. My hobby is chair making and I got so much out of it but it’s also suitable for complete beginners. James took us through all the processes in such an engaging way. Great bonding experience. Well done the Windsor Workshop and huge thanks.

A delightful experience and a most pleasing project to take home. Accommodation and hospitality were first rate. James is an excellent teacher and top quality craftsman. This course is good for any level student from novice to experienced woodworker.

We had the best two days with James making stools . Working in a wonderfully equipped workshop you are provided with all the wood, tools etc required to make your stool. James is an excellent tutor despite some of the tasks being quite scary for a complete novice like myself with his instruction and guidance you are filled with confidence to have a go . You are treated to the most delicious treats at break time and a filling lunch beautifully prepared by James’s wife Louise . We are absolutely thrilled with our stools . Worth every penny and would very much recommend… thank you so much James and Louise .

A great weekend with James at the Windsor Workshop making a stool. James's setup is fantastic with every tool and jig ready to hand; a seamless operation. James's guidance and enthusiasm is fantastic and made for a really enjoyable weekend. Thanks to James (and Louise for the amazing food/drink) for hosting the weekend.

James is a great teacher, we were guided through all the steps and James was on hand whenever we needed extra help. I learnt so much on the course and ended up with a beautiful chair at the end of it. Furthermore the refreshments and catering during the week were great and kept us fully fuelled for the workshop. Many thanks for a great week.

I had my very first experience with woodwork making a Windsor Chair guided by James. I made the Continuous Arm Windsor Chair on a weeks course from Monday to Friday.
It has been a wonderfully challenging but very rewarding time making this chair. I was amazed to learn not only how to use tools and learn how the wood is reacting to your every move, but also to learn to just go for it and not be worried about making a mistake. It was a lesson I will carry through into the future. James is a brilliant teacher, very thorough explaining every step of the process, patient and a through and through practical man with a relaxed outlook.
I would certainly recommend anybody to have a go at making a beautiful Windsor Chair.
I am so proud of myself.
Thank you James Mursell

Just finished day 3 of 5, course is great, James is a great teacher and it's a joy to use such nice tools, some of which are James's own design. Chair coming along nicely.
Course finished now and we all had a great week and we all have a fabulous chair to take home.
Lunch and tea breaks were also very good and you get to try out many of James's chairs round the large dining table.

What a wonderful week. My first chair. James is a fantastic teacher. Lots of hard work, many techniques, beautiful wood shaped with gorgeous hand tools. Great fun and laughs too. THANK YOU xx

Great course! James is patient, instructive teacher. He is also innovative toolmaker. I am so proud of my chair

I have just finished a weeks course at the Windsor Workshop. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but was completely blown away by the whole experience. James is a fantastic teacher with a real passion and incredible knowledge for how these beautiful chairs are made. You don’t need an understanding or previous woodworking skills, James’s tutoring and the small class sizes will allow you to create a truly unique piece of furniture which will leave you hooked. I will definitely be returning to attend another of his courses and I have come away with a truly beautiful chair.

The "Contemporary Continuous Arm" course at the end of October 2022 was great fun. Everything needed was supplied, including some hand-tools I've never seen before. Bending steamed ash was like wrestling with a giant drunk loofah sponge in a countdown to New Year...cutting the dowels was "school-style" four-foot pencil sharpening in action, drilling the leg posts was a 3-D sniper-shooting with drills and tapered reamers...I've never done that before. The world-first was my wife saying "which room do you wanna put the chair in?" when I got home...until now nothing has made it from the shed to the homestead with approval. Ever used an Adze? Me neither. Who would have thought my two left hands could do such things? Max bragging rights...excellent course, great tuition, fabulous tools, lovely grub. Truly fab.

I have just spent the most fantastic week with James at TWW. He is so skilled at both woodwork and communicating to all his students regardless of their abilities. I cannot recommend his courses highly enough.

James was very knowledgeable and always ready to support everyone, even a complete novice like me. His facilities are good and in a beautiful setting. The food and hospitality were a joy. It was very gratifying to finished the two day course with a complete and useful piece of furniture.
Thank you very much. I would highly recommend this to everyone.

This week far exceeded my expectations. With limited woodworking experience I, and each of the other attendees, came away with a beautiful Windsor chair. James' knowledge, patience and hospitality made for a special week. Would definitely recommend and hope to return.

I have just completed a weeks’ course at The Windsor Workshop. A fantastic week of learning, fun and warm homely hospitality, with a beautiful chair to take home. James is a brilliant teacher and his calm knowledgeable style instills confidence. There’s a very good reason why two of the eight students had each been ten times before. I’m sure I’ll be going again. To make the week even better, stay at the self-catering accommodation. It’s the perfect package.

A fantastic course, quite long days but the chair at the end of the week was great, well worth the hard work. James is very supportive throughout, a brilliant week.

A great way to learn new skills and come away with a quality piece of furniture. James really enjoys guiding the group through the process and is always on hand to sort any problems. A week well spent!