The Kershaw Story
Six decades of master craftsmanship meets Yorkshire heritage in every grain of wood we touch.
Master & Apprentice
Sixty years of tradition passed down
Apprenticed to Excellence
Under the tutelage of a master craftsman whose hands have shaped wood for over six decades, every technique I employ carries the weight of tradition and the precision of generations.
My mentor began his journey in post-war Yorkshire, when furniture was built to last lifetimes, not seasons. From him, I learned not just the mechanics of joinery, but the philosophy of permanence - that true craftsmanship creates pieces that improve with age, gathering stories and significance with each passing year.
This is the foundation of Kershaw Fine Woodworking: traditional Yorkshire values, master-level technique, and an unwavering commitment to creating furniture that transcends mere function to become treasured family pieces.
Rooted in Yorkshire Soil
Yorkshire has shaped craftsmen for centuries. From the moorlands to the dales, our landscape has always demanded furniture that can weather both time and the elements.
The Yorkshire Way
In Yorkshire, we don't believe in shortcuts. Our ancestors built dry stone walls that still stand centuries later, not through clever engineering, but through honest work and patient attention to detail. This same philosophy governs every mortise and tenon joint in my workshop.
The harsh Yorkshire winters taught our forebears to build for durability. Furniture wasn't replaced seasonally - it was crafted once, crafted right, and passed down through generations. This is the standard I hold myself to today.
Modern Heritage
While I honour traditional techniques, we must also embrace contemporary needs. Today's furniture must serve modern life whilst maintaining timeless appeal. Boardroom tables need cable management; dining tables must accommodate both intimate dinners and large gatherings.
The challenge - and the art - lies in solving these modern requirements using centuries-old joinery techniques, creating pieces that feel both thoroughly contemporary and unmistakably rooted in tradition.
Beyond Furniture: Creating Meaning
Every tree tells a story. Every grain pattern holds decades of seasons. My role is not to impose upon the wood, but to reveal its inherent character.
Traceable Provenance
Through our partnership with Fallen & Felled, every piece comes with complete documentation: GPS coordinates, tree age, species, and the story of its journey from forest to your home. This isn't marketing - it's heritage documentation.
Sustainable Reverence
We work exclusively with fallen trees or those felled for legitimate forestry management. No tree dies solely for our craft. Instead, we give new purpose to wood that might otherwise be lost, honouring both the tree and the forests it came from.
Generational Thinking
Every piece is designed and built to outlast its original owner. Proper joinery, carefully selected materials, and time-tested finishes ensure that your commission becomes a treasured piece, gathering value and meaning with each passing generation.
The Workshop: Where Stories Begin
Nestled in the Yorkshire countryside, my workshop is where centuries-old techniques meet contemporary precision.
Hand tools handed down through generations work alongside modern precision equipment. The scent of oak shavings mingles with the weight of tradition. Here, each piece begins its transformation from raw timber to fine furniture.
Every mortise is cut by hand. Every surface is finished through patient progression of increasingly fine grits. Nothing is rushed; everything is considered. This is where your tree's story continues, shaped by hands that learned from masters who learned from masters before them.
Yorkshire Workshop
Traditional tools, timeless techniques
Begin Your Own Story
Every commission is an opportunity to create something that will outlast us all. Let's discuss how your vision can become part of our craft tradition.