Craftsmanship in action: The Heritage Skills Academy at Wilton Legends

Away from the manicured lawns and polished concours entrants at the Wilton House Wilton Legends, the Heritage Skills Academy (HSA) is bringing the workshop directly to the event. Get ready to experience the practical side of classic motoring.

While the Wilton Legends celebrates the finished masterpieces of automotive history, the HSA pavilion offers a look at the time-honoured skills required to keep them on the road. This is not a static display, it is a live, working celebration of traditional automotive craftsmanship.

Here is what awaits you in the HSA paddock:

Coachbuilding and fabrication

Step into the area where flat sheets of metal are shaped into sweeping, aerodynamic curves. The HSA apprentices will be demonstrating the wheeling machine, alongside shrinker and stretcher techniques. The focal point of the display is an impressive, scratch-built one-third scale Napier Railton that highlights traditional British engineering.

Mechanical demonstrations

For those fascinated by what goes on under the bonnet, the mechanical demonstration benches are a must see. Watch the precise bench-fitting skills that defined pre-war motoring, from traditional riveting to the use of taps and dies. Experts will demonstrate setting differential backlash and safety wiring, before undertaking live strip-downs and rebuilds of cylinder heads and gearboxes.

Rag & Bone Man

Paul and Lizzie of Rag & Bone Man will be on hand, blending traditional engineering with bespoke design. They will demonstrate how to use a Jenny and swaging machine, surrounded by displays of their engineering work. Highlights include their Belly Tank Racer (pictured above) and the live fabrication of a chaise longue built from the bones of a Morgan.

Harry Frazer Vehicle Upholstery

Follow the scent of leather to Harry Frazer’s demonstration space, where the interior of the automobile is the main focus. Harry will showcase the skills of traditional sewing, seat upholstery and the assembly of door cards and carpets. He will also share insights into leather repair and sympathetic restoration.

Donkey Well Forge

Feel the heat of the live gas forge as John from Donkey Well Forge brings the backbone of vintage motoring to life. With the anvil ringing, he will demonstrate chassis fabrication and hot riveting, alongside examples of bespoke steelwork; the centrepiece will be the above 1909 Hotchkiss.

Bentley rhythm aces: Chassis YF2186

The story of Bentley chassis YF2186 is a good reminder that very few cars from this period arrive in one fixed state. Built in 1927 as a 6½ Litre with Harrison saloon coachwork, it began life as a large, formal motor car, the sort of thing more likely to be chauffeur-driven than taken out for a fast run across country.

As with many Bentleys, it did not stay that way. Over the decades it changed, as owners adapted it to suit different uses and tastes. That sort of evolution is typical, and in many cases it has meant original bodies being removed or heavily altered. What sets YF2186 apart is that much of its early structure survived, giving a clear starting point when the decision was made to rebuild it.

Rather than imposing a single idea on the car, the restoration followed the evidence. A detailed report compiled in 2018 by marque specialist Clare Hay drew together factory records and period material, allowing the work to be guided by what the car had actually been, rather than what it might have been imagined to be.

The result is a two-door coupé that still carries traces of its earlier life. It does not try to disguise the fact that it has changed over time, and that is part of its appeal. Cars of this age tend to accumulate history rather than shed it, and working on them often means deciding which parts of that story to keep.

YF2186 is a good example of that process. It shows how a car can be rebuilt, used and understood without losing sight of where it started, something that underpins much of the work being demonstrated here.

Get hands-on

The HSA is not just about watching, it is about getting involved. Visitors are invited to roll up their sleeves at the activity benches to stamp and craft their own metal bookmarks and dog tags, a practical memento of the weekend.

Join us at the Wilton House Wilton Legends and watch the next generation keep these skills alive.