About us
Heirloom Puzzles is a new enterprise started by the Walker family in 2018. The family consists Mark and Pauline and their Children John and Kate. We are based on a working farm on the outskirts of Bradford on Avon, which is 7 miles east from the historic city of Bath.
The idea behind Heirloom Puzzles was born when John and Kate were at primary school. Mark made a world map puzzle with a spare piece of plywood. He hand drew the countries onto paper, which was then stuck onto the plywood with childrens PVA glue. He then used the childrens paint and started to colour it in. To the puzzle he used a scroll saw and tried to cut as accurately as he could around each country. This first puzzle is shown in the image below!
The puzzle seemed to be enjoyed by everyone who had a go, Mark dreamed of one day being able to make a more professional version. But Mark being of a certain age and a self-confessed technophobe, he realised it was all a bit beyond him. When daughter Kate finished her university degree, she realised she had the skills to take on the challenge of turning this idea into a reality.
They realised that to be able to cut down a thin line of a preprinted image, was more difficult than they first thought. But with many experiments and prototypes they think they have achieved what they had set out to do.
The aim with Heirloom Puzzles is to have created puzzles that are not only fun to put together, they are educational and help develop a long lasting knowledge of the subject. The puzzles should test your knowledge, not your patience.
The Walkers plan on expanding outside of the geographical theme and make more fun and educational puzzles in the future. Watch this space.