Fordyce Joiner’s Workshop and Visitor Centre

About the museum

Fordyce Joiner’s Workshop is a small museum in the village of Fordyce, Aberdeenshire. It stands in the buildings of a traditional joinery business that was run by several generations of skilled carpenters, and it shows the working life of a village joiner who made most of the wooden things local people needed, from simple clothes chests to cart wheels.

The site has two buildings: the traditional workshop, filled with museum pieces, unfinished woodworking projects and tools, and a modern visitor centre. Displays include joinery tools and workshop machines, many of which were in use until the 1970s, and material on the village and on the family who ran the business. A Victorian garden lies behind the workshop buildings and can be walked through.

The museum opened to the public in 1993. The buildings belong to Aberdeenshire Council, and a local community association has leased the workshop for many years. The community is working to keep the museum and workshop open so that the history of the village can be shared.

Highlights

• Traditional joiner’s workshop with original tools
• Workshop machines used until the 1970s
• Visitor centre about Fordyce village
• Victorian garden walk behind the workshop

Permanent exhibition

• The village joiner’s workshop – Joinery tools and workshop machines, many used until the 1970s, showing how a village carpenter made everything from clothes chests to cart wheels.

Founded

1993

Operated by

Local community association (workshop leased from Aberdeenshire Council)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum states that there is disabled access; no further details are published.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on West Church Street in the village of Fordyce.

Amenities & dining

A garden walk through the Victorian garden behind the workshop buildings.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit