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SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EDWARD BARNSLEY WORKSHOP

THE EDWARD BARNSLEY WORKSHOP is a furniture making and cabinet workshop near Petersfield. Edward Barnsley CBE (1900 to 1987) was a renowned furniture maker and designer, now historically important in this field. He followed in the footsteps of his father Sidney Barnsley, a pioneering figure in the British Arts and Crafts Movement. Barnsley furniture is renowned for its exceptional quality and examples can be found in the Palace of Westminster as well as Canterbury Cathedral.

The workshop today is run as a charitable trust dedicated to providing training opportunities for apprentices, and maintaining the Barnsley furniture traditions (the Edward Barnsley Educational Trust- EBET).  Noel Wright Architects are working with EBET to alter and enlarge their premises, as part of a development plan which will create a new machine shop and allow the linked Workshop Cottage (originally Edward Barnsley’s home) back into residential use.  In due course this relocation of activities will allow the workshop to create a dedicated gallery space from which to promote their work.

THE WORKSHOP COTTAGE  The cottage is grade II listed, along with the rest of the premises.  Since the 1990s  it has been utilised as the office and showroom for the workshop. The Arts and Crafts movement affiliations are evident everywhere in its beautiful detail, but the nature of the spaces within is considered poorly suited  for this use as office and showroom. Reverting back to a residential use can create visitor accommodation  in this attractive National Park setting, and the opportunity for others to appreciate the place and the Barnsley story. This will create a supplementary income stream for the workshop and thus financially support the core purposes of the educational trust in providing training opportunities.

THE NEW MACHINE SHOP  Construction of the new machine shop has struggled to make a start due to practical difficulties in creating a building with difficult ground conditions – a steep scarp slope dropping away in close proximity to the new building. Noel Wright Architects, in conjunction with engineer Cowan Consult, have arrived at a scheme to overcome this difficulty, now utilising piled foundations together with a cantilevered subframe to the building.

Piling is now complete, the next step is the rest of the ground works and retaining wall adjacent to the road.

FIND OUT MORE    The Workshop holds regular open days and we recommend a visit to appreciate this exceptional fine work  https://www.barnsley-furniture.co.uk/