About Us

~ 1985 ~

Opening of our first shop on Market Street, South Molton, offering repairs, fittings and tack as a working saddler's.

~ 1989 ~

The saddlery moves to a larger premises on East Street, allowing for a wider range of saddle stock and the beginning of Acorn's carefully curated giftware selection.

~ 1992 ~

The shop expands to a prime location on South Street with the largest workshop yet, giving rise to a bespoke range of leather hunting and shooting accessories.

~ 1994 ~

Acorn Saddlery enters cyberspace, launching its first website to market its hand-crafted leather products.

~ 1996 ~

Personalised embossing on customers' leather goods commences with the acquisition of specialised machinery ready for the job.

~ 2004 ~

Susan qualifies as a Master Saddler following an apprenticeship with the Society of Master Saddlers, joining her husband Frank in the master ranks.

~ 2007 ~

The saddlery is voted by the public as Best Rural Retailer in the South West Region, leading to an invitation to the House of Commons for congratulatory canapés.

~ 2009 ~

The saddlery website begins online sales for the first time, listing its hand-crafted leather accessories for all the world to see. A smartphone-friendly redesign would follow in 2016.

~ 2015 ~

James formally joins the saddlery as director, taking the reins from his mother and father. He has a leading role as frontman, buying stock and developing the shop's online presence.

~ 2021 ~

Launch of the saddlery's most ambitious website yet, refreshing the entire product range and establishing a new foundation for the future.

Husband and wife team Frank and Susan Edwards set up Acorn Saddlery in 1985, and now incorporates three generations. From small beginnings on a side street in South Molton, the business now operates on a high street location with fully equipped workshops, offering on-site repair and after sales service.

The saddlery has two qualified Master Saddlers as part of its highly skilled workforce, and all members of staff are BETA certified for both hat and body protector fitting. The business prides itself on its own hand-crafted range of hunting and shooting accessories, supplying all parts of the world with high quality leather work.

Every member of the team strives to provide unrivalled customer service to our customers in North Devon and around the world, and our years of experience across our specialist industries speaks to the vision that began life as an Acorn all those years ago.

Timeline

~ 1985 ~

Opening of our first shop on Market Street, South Molton, offering repairs, fittings and tack as a working saddler's.

~ 1989 ~

The saddlery moves to a larger premises on East Street, allowing for a wider range of saddle stock and the beginning of Acorn's carefully curated giftware selection.

~ 1992 ~

The shop expands to a prime location on South Street with the largest workshop yet, giving rise to a bespoke range of leather hunting and shooting accessories.

~ 1994 ~

Acorn Saddlery enters cyberspace, launching its first website to market its hand-crafted leather products.

~ 1996 ~

Personalised embossing on customers' leather goods commences with the acquisition of specialised machinery ready for the job.

~ 2004 ~

Susan qualifies as a Master Saddler following an apprenticeship with the Society of Master Saddlers, joining her husband Frank in the master ranks.

~ 2007 ~

The saddlery is voted by the public as Best Rural Retailer in the South West Region, leading to an invitation to the House of Commons for congratulatory canapés.

~ 2009 ~

The saddlery website begins online sales for the first time, listing its hand-crafted leather accessories for all the world to see. A smartphone-friendly redesign would follow in 2016.

~ 2015 ~

James formally joins the saddlery as director, taking the reins from his mother and father. He has a leading role as frontman, buying stock and developing the shop's online presence.

~ 2021 ~

Launch of the saddlery's most ambitious website yet, refreshing the entire product range and establishing a new foundation for the future.

The Team

Frank Edwards

Frank grew up in a family who were all interested in horses, and it seemed only natural to go into saddlery after leaving school. He completed a five-year apprenticeship, combined with training at Wimbledon College, London, whereupon Frank received his Master Saddler's Certificate. Frank has gained some 36 years’ experience in the trade and offers a full saddle fitting service.

Susan Edwards

Susan deals with the day to day running and administration of the business, including the accounts and bookwork. Over the years she has been trained under the watchful eye of her husband and is now a qualified Master Saddler. She assists Frank in repairing saddles and is also involved in making new stock, bespoke orders and assisting with the production of shooting accessories

James Edwards

As the business continues to expand, James, the youngest son of Frank and Susan, has joined the Saddlery as a Director. His main role at present is the website, photography and customer liaison and managing the shop as a whole. He plans to learn specialist saddlery skills from his parents as soon as time permits.

Alison Ford

Alison is Frank's sister and has been with Acorn Saddlery since its early days. She is our specialist machinist and deals with our bespoke orders. She will be seen replacing zips in boots, chaps and any other repairs as needed. She is also in charge of the shooting accessory orders as they come through.

Sharon Govier

Sharon is our most recent recruit and has been known to us for many years as her family are all keen riders. She is now in charge of repair and assists with the manufacturing of the shooting goods. She also assists with the running of the shop and assisting customers with their equestrian needs.

Please enjoy browsing our website, and we look forward to seeing you in store!