Matthew Courtney-Jones

I was born in 1973 and grew up watching Errol Flynn films. I loved Robin Hood and since the age of 13 I have been trying to make bows and arrows.

I spent my childhood in the wilds of Sussex, England, where the surrounding woodland and my imagination were my playground.

My early attempts at making bows were hit and miss… mostly miss. It was frustrating but I loved it. Eventually someone took pity on me and bought me a re-curve target bow which I shot to death.

Then I grew up and went to university and there was an 18 year gap filled with the stuff of work and family.

Jump to 2011 and rummaging about at my dad’s house I found one of my old books, a copy of the ‘traditional archers handbook’, and the obsession began again. I made a long bow for me, then my son, then my best friend, and so on……

Over the past few years I have developed the understanding, and more importantly, the patience, to work wood and now consider myself a traditional primitive archer and bowyer

I live in Girton, a village next to Cambridge with my family and two dogs. I also work as an osteopath, geriatric mobility specialist and kung fu instructor.
Matthew Courtney-Jones