The work of City of Bath College students now takes pride of place outside one of Bath’s most prominent addresses.
Level 2 Bench Joinery Diploma students have brought Georgian history to life by making a Sedan Chair for No.1 Royal Crescent.
They spent seven months working with the Bath Preservation Trust to design and make the traditional mode of transport.
The students’ work helped to mark the re-opening of the museum to the public following a £5 million restoration project.
The museum, which shows what Georgian life was like, underwent an 18 month £5 million restoration project to reunite the service wing with the town house.
The usable Sedan Chair is already proving to be popular with visitors from across the world and it is said to be “a feature of the visitor experience.”
Sedan Chairs, which are windowed cabins on long poles, permitted passengers to be carried from door to door by two porters.
Paul Gilmore, deputy head of Engineering, Construction and Computing, said it was a fantastic achievement for students to have their work on show at one of the best Georgian houses in the country.
He said: “The students have been very committed to this project and we are all very proud of what has been achieved.
“We look forward to working with the Bath Preservation Trust again to provide carpentry and joinery students real life projects that will further develop their skills ready for the construction industry.”
Tom Boden, Head of Museums at Bath Preservation Trust, said he was delighted with the work of City of Bath College students.
He said: “We were looking to create a usable sedan chair for No. 1 Royal Crescent.
“At the outset we aimed to create a project that would help students learn traditional joinery skills as well as experience working for an external client.
“We also hoped that the finished Sedan Chair would become part of the museum’s public face, providing an unusual form of external signage.
“The finished product exceeded expectations and it is already becoming a feature of the visitor experience at the Royal Crescent.”
