What are Welsh stick chairs?

The term “stick chair” refers to a chair that begins it’s life as a plank of wood for the seat. All the remaining parts such as the legs, sticks and arms are connected to the seat with round joinery. Stick chairs are made with simple tools and readily available materials, but most importantly, they are not mass-manufactured.

Welsh stick chairs were the predecessor of what was to become the more commonly known Windsor chair. It has been thought that they were also the inspiration for the Shaker furniture movement in America.

Stick chairs are unique in the sense that they were not originally made by fine furniture makers; they were chairs made through necessity and so were made by country folk including farmers and wheelwrights, and sometimes the village carpenter, all originating in rural Wales.

The wood for these chairs was found growing in hedgerows and woodlands, making each chair individual, with their shape determined by the natural character of the wood. No two Welsh stick chairs were the same, all displaying a variety in number of sticks, shape of seat, or stretch of back. 

Today these chair designs are revived here in the Castell Carreg workshop. Antique chairs have been analysed and made up to date, all with a similar ethos – build strong, light, comfortable furniture, with what you have. Made well, built to last.

Bellow are some examples of Welsh stick chairs that the studio offers. This section will continue to be updated with new projects on a regular basis, so do check in again to see new designs on offer.