Carpenters’ Yard

The history of Carpenters’ Yard is intricate and not entirely documented. The earliest components of the buildings are believed to date back to the initial construction phase of Priddy’s Hard in the 1780s. These structures may have served as the Coach House and Engine House.

By 1862 a Fire Engine House, Coach House, and Stables had been constructed along the southeast edge of the site. By 1903, Carpenter’s Yard was already in use as Works Department Workshops, and maintenance activities continued here until the site’s closure in 1988.

With the generous support of Arts Council England and the Foyle Foundation, we restored Carpenters’ Yard, creating 9 affordable studios for artists and makers with welfare facilities and a public courtyard.