contemporary lifestyle woodworker
Now based in rural north-east Herefordshire, not far from the small market town of Bromyard, I use high quality hardwoods and traditional joinery techniques and tools to create unique items.
Having begun my woodworking career from a converted basement-workshop within our house off Bath Road, Cheltenham, I work full-time producing the pieces seen on this site, in addition to working on individual, bespoke commissions.
During 2019 I made the decision to resign from my steady job within historic building conservation in order to become a full-time, self-employed maker of woodwork. Over time I had thought long and hard about my working life, and came to the realisation that a desk-based, office job quite simply wasn’t what I felt to be the work, or the working environment, that I was meant to be in. I had discovered that what I wanted, and needed, was a far more creative, positive, physical and tactile vocation.
Whilst working with historic buildings I was always drawn to the practical work carried out. The tools, materials and construction methods still in operation and borne out of centuries of making and repairing held real fascination, and the necessary, tangible craft skills learnt and honed greatly appealed to me. The Arts and Crafts movement therefore has a certain resonance in that I believe there will always be a significant place for high quality, hand crafted objects as antidote to machine-made mass production.
Thank you for visiting and supporting small-scale craft.
Samuel Souter
Revised January 2021
