About Me: The Story Behind Colt Carpentry Devon
Hello, I’m Kevin Hampton, the owner of Colt Carpentry Devon. My story begins on building sites in Shropshire, takes a few unexpected turns through America and eventually brings me to the beautiful village of Bere Alston in Devon.
Growing Up in the Construction Trade
I grew up around my father’s building business, RJH Homes. From the age of five or six, I spent much of my school holidays going to work with him and being around the building sites. There are even photographs of me operating the backhoe of a JCB when I was about nine years old!
As I grew older, I continued working in construction and gained experience in many aspects of the trade. I learned everything from setting out, excavating and concreting foundations to helping with brickwork and blockwork.
Although I enjoyed learning how a building comes together from the ground up, my real passion was always carpentry and joinery.
This broader construction experience has served me well throughout my career. While living in Shropshire, I transformed my own home from a two-bedroom bungalow into a six-bedroom bungalow with two living rooms. I completed the construction work myself, bringing in qualified tradespeople only for the electrical and gas work.
Sailing to America
When I was around twenty, I took a brief break from construction after being given the opportunity to sail from Puerto Rico to mainland America.
It was an incredible adventure. We arrived in New York Harbour on the Fourth of July, and I was privileged to visit the World Trade Centre and watch the fireworks. It remains an experience I will never forget.
Shortly afterwards, I was offered a job working with horses in Connecticut. Horses have always been another great passion of mine, so it was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.
I spent another five months working around the United States. I started in Connecticut and eventually ended up in Newport, Rhode Island, where I took people on evening beach rides on horseback.
Training as a Farrier and Blacksmith
While I was in America, I began training as a farrier and blacksmith. When I returned home, I found weekend work with a local farrier so I could continue learning while still working as a carpenter and general builder for my father.
After going through a difficult period with depression and feeling unsure about the direction of my life, I returned to America. This time, I spent six weeks working with a farrier in Vermont.
It was January, and temperatures fell to around –25°C, but despite the cold, I had an amazing time.
Life on a Ranch in New Mexico
I arrived home on a Saturday and soon found another opportunity—working on a ranch in New Mexico as a farrier and general cowhand. This led to six memorable months near a small town called Reserve, in Catron County.
Reserve felt miles from anywhere. As I remember it, the town had one bar, a garage, a convenience store and a general hardware store. It was a very different world from the one in which I had grown up.
One of my favourite memories happened while I was in town collecting supplies for the ranch. A BBC Radio 4 presenter approached me and asked if he could interview me about what it was like to live in Catron County.
You should have seen his face when I replied:
“Yes, but can you tell me what’s happening in The Archers? I haven’t heard it for six months!”
I don’t think he expected to hear an English accent—or a question about The Archers—from someone dressed like a local cowboy!
Life on the ranch was very basic. We had no proper running water or electricity and only occasional bottled gas. Most evenings were spent sitting around the fire, which was also where much of our food was cooked.
The working days were long. I would get up at five in the morning and begin shoeing around five horses before breakfast. I would then spend the day helping with the cattle, building new log cabins and collecting firewood. At around five in the afternoon, I would return to shoeing horses before our evening meal.
It was hard work, but it gave me experiences and memories that have stayed with me throughout my life.
Starting My Own Carpentry Business
After returning from the ranch, I established my own carpentry and joinery business—and I have never looked back.
Carpentry has always been at the centre of my work, although my wider building experience has led to some interesting projects over the years.
For approximately four years, I carried out work for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It began with repointing walls and developed into repairing concrete footpaths at churches throughout the North West.
When they discovered that I held a cherry-picker licence, they asked me to provide a price for repointing church steeples. I am petrified of heights, so I submitted the price without expecting to get the job. I ended up working on around fifteen church steeples!
I was later asked to install thermoplastic road markings in church car parks. I completed this work alongside my carpentry and joinery business in Shropshire.
A New Life in Devon
I had always felt that my heart belonged in the West Country. After a great deal of thought and consideration, my family and I decided to move to the beautiful village of Bere Alston, near Tavistock.
It has been one of the best decisions of my life.
Today, I run Colt Carpentry Devon, providing professional carpentry and joinery services throughout Tavistock, Plymouth and the surrounding areas of Devon and Cornwall.
My work includes:
• Timber decking, steps and handrails
• Kitchen fitting and worktops
• Internal and external doors
• Fencing, gates and garden timber
• First- and second-fix carpentry
• Bespoke joinery and timber projects
• Repairs and property maintenance
With more than 30 years of practical experience, I bring extensive construction knowledge, careful workmanship and close attention to detail to every project.
Supporting My Local Community
Alongside running my business, I also volunteer with the ambulance service as a Community First Responder.
This involves attending emergency 999 calls in my own response vehicle. Calls can range from helping someone who has suffered a trip or fall to responding to a cardiac arrest.
While on duty, I carry a defibrillator, oxygen and other potentially life-saving equipment. I am generally available seven days a week, and volunteering gives me the opportunity to put something back into the community that has made my family and me feel so welcome.
Colt Carpentry Devon
For me, carpentry is about more than simply working with timber. It is about understanding what a customer wants, finding the right solution and creating something that is attractive, practical and built to last.
Whether it is a small repair, a new door, a fitted kitchen, a timber deck or a larger bespoke project, every job receives the same care and attention.
Big or small, it’s all in the detail.
If you have a carpentry project in mind, please get in touch with Colt Carpentry Devon for a friendly discussion and a free quotation.
Kevin Hampton
Colt Carpentry Devon
Telephone: 07970 054412
Website: coltcarpentrydevon.co.uk