Who we are
Bristol Craftworks is a shared workshop for professional makers in central Bristol. We are right next to Lawrence Hill train station, just one stop from Temple Meads.
We offer high-quality workspace for woodworkers, metalworkers, jewellers, designers and small creative businesses who need reliable machines, proper facilities and a focused environment to do their best work.
Our site used to be part of the city’s railway infrastructure, used as a brickyard for track works. Today, it’s been carefully developed into a practical, well-run workshop community.
Each member runs their own independent practice. We share tools, space, and experience.
Community
Bristol Craftworks is built on long-standing relationships and runs on trust, reliability and good humour. Many of our members have worked together for years and know each other very well.
But we’re not cliquey. New members are welcomed into the fold and settle in quickly to become part of the working group. You have community on tap, which you can lean into it as little or as much as you want to. You can get your head down to meet your deadline, but there’s also always someone to have coffee breaks or to chat to over lunch.
Alongside the day-to-day work there is a social side to life here. We have occasional get- togethers, summer and Christmas socials and yard drinks when the weather’s good.
Collaboration
We’re more than the sum of our parts.
Here, we share tools, space, skills, ideas and projects. Members work on their individual client work, but there is a spirit of collaboration.
There’s always someone to bounce ideas off, to help find the missing piece of a technical puzzle or to lend a hand.
It just makes it a nice place to work. Gone are the lonely days of a one man (or woman) workshop. There’s camaraderie and mates around if you need them.
Craftmanship
We’re a group of professional makers who really care about precision and process.
We continually invest in high-spec machinery, to ensure that our facilities are cutting-edge.
This isn’t a casual hobby space. It’s a place for professionals to make exceptional work. Have a look at our ever-growing list of kit.
How We’re Run
We run as a collective.
We have a small group of directors who handle day-to-day operations, maintenance and administration. At the same time, major decisions are shaped through open and ongoing discussion with members. Everyone gets a say.
It’s more round-table than top-down and everyone’s voice matters. The long-term health of the community comes first.
We like to think that it’s a good balance of structure and shared responsibility.