A Mansfield Woodhouse historical armoury is facing an unprecedented challenge as it struggles to find skilled craftspeople in an increasingly rare trade.

Lancaster Armoury, which is almost 50 years-old, creates authentic medieval armour for a diverse list of clients, ranging from re-enactors, jousting competitors, English Heritage sites, and even fashion runways.

Despite a surge in demand for its meticulously, historically accurate pieces, Matthew Finchen, who took ownership of Lancaster Armoury in 2017, warned that this ancient craft could be lost without urgent intervention.

“There aren’t many armourers left,” explained Matt who, at 31, is one of the youngest professional armourers in the industry.

“It’s very much a niche kind of skill and, while there is growing demand, it’s not something that is easy to teach. It takes many years of dedication.”

Each piece requires extensive knowledge of historical techniques, advanced metalworking skills, and an understanding of human anatomy.

“Everything is bespoke, with customers coming to be measured up, because the anatomy of each person is really different,” Matt said.

“Their bones are shaped and move in different ways. The position of their ligaments — no one’s the same.

“It must be comfortable because the customer could be wearing it for a long period of time.”

The business, based on Grove Street, specialises in made-to-measure medieval armour, including arm armour, bascinets, gauntlets, globular breastplates, greaves, pauldrons, sabatons, sallets, and spaulders.

However, it is now expanding into new exciting markets, including high-fashion collaborations.

Fashion label Annie’s Ibiza contacted Lancaster Armoury about featuring armour on the London Fashion Week runway in February and Matt got in touch with Isobel Waugh, a final-year costume design and making student at Buckinghamshire New University, to help design the groundbreaking project.

“Matt has been incredibly supportive, giving me different inspirations from the armouring world that I could merge with historical textile knowledge,” said Isobel.

“Together, we’ve created something fresh and modern that people haven’t seen on the runway before.”

Matt is taking innovative steps to address the skills shortage. He’s opened his home to apprentices, providing rent-free accommodation to make the learning opportunity more accessible.

“How do you give someone a chance to learn this specialised skill when they’d have to move to the area, rent somewhere, and support themselves while learning? he asked.

“Opening my home to interns has allowed us to expand and teach good skills, while giving them a safe space to develop.”

Looking ahead, Matt is exploring partnerships with universities and investigating apprenticeship schemes. He’s also hoping to establish a continental journeyman programme, allowing skills exchanges with aspiring armourers from across Europe.

“If I don’t start training people now, who will?” he added. “Most people don’t even know this kind of work exists as a career option. We need to change that before these skills are lost forever.”