Independent concept by CofeeUI · not the workshop's official website
Hartington Grove, Cambridge · Teaching since 1960
The workshop of sound.
Repairs and restoration for violin, viola, cello and double bass. Handmade instruments. Violin-making classes. All from one workshop a mile south of the city centre.
- What
- Violin-family repairs, instruments & making courses
- Where
- 70A Hartington Grove, Cambridge CB1 7UB
- Visits
- By appointment. Call to confirm before you travel
01 What the workshop does
Four ways in through one door.
Four ways to work with the workshop, as its own website describes them.
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Repairs & restoration
Violin, viola, cello and double bass repairs are carried out on the premises, insurance repairs included. Ask for Christopher Beament.
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Bow rehairs
Bow re-hairing is offered again. Contact the workshop for prices. Other bow repairs go to outworkers.
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Instruments
New handmade instruments to commission, plus new and old violins, violas and cellos on a "try & buy" basis.
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Learn to make
One-week summer violin-making courses and termly daytime or evening classes. The Summer 2026 courses filled up, so ask about the next dates.
02 How a plate finds its voice
Wood, carved until it listens.
Split the wedge
A violin top is usually spruce, split so the grain runs straight down the instrument.
Carve the arch
The plate is arched and thinned in fractions of a millimetre. The contour lines show its thickness.
Cut the f-holes
Two f-holes let the top flex and let the sound out.
Listen: the X
Some makers sprinkle a loose plate, sound a tone through it and watch the sand. It gathers along the lines that stay still.
Listen: the ring
Thin the wood a little and the pattern moves. This is how carving changes a voice, one shaving at a time.
General violin-making practice, illustrated with simplified maths. Not a record of this workshop's own method. Ask the makers how they work.
03 Inside the workshop
Sixty years of evening classes.
Every violin carries a label inside, read through the f-hole. This one would tell a long story.
- 1960Cambridge Violin Makers begins as evening classes, founded by Juliet Barker (1934–2022).
- 1973One-week summer courses begin.
- 1986The Violin Workshop opens at its current premises on Hartington Grove.
- TodayChristopher Beament, owner and manager, completed his apprenticeship in 1993 and specialises in cello repair and set-up. He works with Nicole Terry, Ethan Martin and Nathan Colman, all Newark-trained.
04 Plan your enquiry
Tune your question before you call.
Pick your instrument and what you need. You'll get a short note you can read out on the phone or copy into an email. Nothing is booked or sent from this page.
Your note for the workshop
Hello, I have a violin that needs a repair or restoration. When could I bring it in for you to look at?
All violin, viola, cello and double bass repairs are carried out on the premises. For repairs, ask for Christopher Beament.
Good to have ready
- The instrument and its case
- When the problem started
- Insurance claim details, if any
Copying the note or opening an email does not contact the workshop. You decide what to send.
05 Find the workshop
Hartington Grove, by appointment.
Just over a mile south of Cambridge city centre, with its own car park. The workshop asks visitors to arrange an appointment before coming.
Address
Cambridge Violin Makers
The Workshop, 70A Hartington Grove
Cambridge CB1 7UB
Get directions (opens Google Maps in a new tab)
Contact
Workshop: 01223 411071
Mobile: 07813 805987
Email: info@makeviolins.com
Hours listed on the official home page
| Monday | 10am – 6pm |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 10am – 5pm |
| Wednesday | 10am – 6pm |
| Thursday | Closed |
| Friday | 10am – 6pm |
| Saturday | 10am – 1pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Call to confirm before you travel. The repairs page lists slightly different hours, and appointments can be arranged outside them.
06 Make the next note
Begin with a conversation.
Your starting point: violin · repair or restoration. Have your note ready and call the workshop.