Matt Le Breton Traditional Stained Glass and Building

Matt Le Breton Traditional Stained Glass and Building Traditional Skills and Techniques in Stained Glass & Building www.lebretontraditional.co.uk For more examples go to www.lebretontraditional.co.uk

This page is to showcase examples of the projects I have undertaken in traditional stained glass and building work. All examples shown are projects personally undertaken to commission or for clients.

Here's the second big spring project. St Swithens Church near Crediton. They had a roof leak and as a result extensive p...
03/05/2026

Here's the second big spring project. St Swithens Church near Crediton. They had a roof leak and as a result extensive plaster delaminated by the alter and also (very awkwardly) behind the organ. Also various damaged paintwork and plaster in various places around the interior. Always slightly tricky jobs as there is a need for continual attention to cleanliness and dust. But very pleased with the completion. Lime was mainly putty soft lime mix although NHL 2 used in a couple of locations. The paint used is seciltek from Mike Wye. I've used it for over a decade and it really is worth it. Bit more cost wise but is silicate not plastic based so microporous and vapour permeable. Unlike limewash it doesn't need recoating every 4 or 5 years amd is much more hardwearing. Bit tricky colour matching as there appear to be at least three different paint colours in use in the church interior!! Subtle recolour mixing with my pigment store has got it very close. The church also has one of my favourite stained glass windows that manages to be bright with colour as well.as light and delicate

It's been a busy spring! Just finished a couple of big projects, one a private glass commission and the other a church b...
02/05/2026

It's been a busy spring! Just finished a couple of big projects, one a private glass commission and the other a church building repair. Been flat out! Here's the first a commission for a home near Exeter. The starting point was when an article appeared in the Thorverton Parish Magazine and the client was drawn to my Dylan Thomas Centenary piece. We built on that and incorporated a whole load of personal references, a marriage in a spinney, a proposal on a dartmoor stone bridge, Canadian maple colours, a family members house and many more. Also it had to be pretty light so that the bathroom stayed bright. Designing took a while! Making was hard work as there was a lot of painting and subtle enamelling to add depth and shading. Not to mention all the curves. Then fitting!!! The window was to replace a UPVC window that originally was the rear of the house but a previous owner built an extension around the window so the top light could only open a crack. So in the end I had to cut the whole frame out. Only to discover a real mess underneath. Taking out the old window. Repairing and replastering, and then fitting my new oak frame and sill with a toughened glass one side took 2 days. But very pleased with the end result. As are the clients.

Here are just a few of the pieces from this weekends classes! Next one is on Feb 21st. Love the owls. Two students both ...
26/01/2026

Here are just a few of the pieces from this weekends classes! Next one is on Feb 21st. Love the owls. Two students both fancied making one.

Fitted this on Friday. The house has Pear in the title so made this panel with some carefully enamelled mottled pears in...
26/01/2026

Fitted this on Friday. The house has Pear in the title so made this panel with some carefully enamelled mottled pears in it. Its set into the existing clear glazed window effectively double glazing it. I left the central area clear to preserve the view down the corridor of the amazing oak outside. After much deliberation I didn't put any enamel shading on the leaves just some simple vitreous black veining. I have used a method of incorporating ceramic silcate into my installation for over 10 years to prevent condensation. In this case it was in the outer edge of the 12mm lead sealed in it with a strip of glazing tape. Little holes cut in the side of the came allow internal air access to the silicate. I often also use a dehumidifier before the fitting either to dehumidify the whole room/space or in this instance I made a cowl over the doorway using the existing curtain rail. This removes as much moisture as possible before the install. As it is raining constantly in Devon at the moment, so very high humidity, this was a very necessary step!

...And its 2026! A very travel filled but still nicely restful festive time of family and friends and now it's back to t...
07/01/2026

...And its 2026! A very travel filled but still nicely restful festive time of family and friends and now it's back to the workshop. We did a whole load of home tidying and painting tasks just after new year and that's set me up nicely for workshop tidying ready for commissions and teaching. So if you are wondering how to get through Jan and Feb sanity intact there are still a couple of places available on my Wed Evening beginners class. 6.30 til 9pm and in sets of 4 weeks (one set each half term). It costs £140 but that includes all tools and materials with discounts for returners. DM me if you are interested. Also got my one day classes on the last weekend of each month if evenings aren't for you! Here's some lovely students projects for inspiration.

Ah a year comes to an end and it's been a super busy one. Especially the last month or so with finishing commissions and...
23/12/2025

Ah a year comes to an end and it's been a super busy one. Especially the last month or so with finishing commissions and also working with my youngest to make lots of recycled glass coasters for Christmas for her Camp international fundraising. But reflecting on the year its been pretty good! Right at the end I've managed to get the lovely "Swifts" commission fitted up in Barnstable (they have 8 swifts who visit every year!) and a tricky repair in Exeter finished off. My teaching has gone really well both day classes and evening classes. Such a variety of students projects. If you are interested there are weekend day classes and a couple of Wed eve spaces available in the new year. (Nudge, wink, cough cough whispers "christmas present?" lol). It was also great to go to the ICON stained glass conference in Canterbury Cathedral and remeet so many of my colleagues in glass. It can be a bit of a solo job as a professional so its fab to improve those ties. I'm definitely looking forward to what 2026 brings. A HUGE commission maybe? Making a wish for that! No doubt it will be an interesting and varied year, and full of colour. Merry Christmas everyone!

Hi all, thanks for the lovely support for Rosalind's Camp International fundraising at the Bradninch Guildhall craft fay...
04/12/2025

Hi all, thanks for the lovely support for Rosalind's Camp International fundraising at the Bradninch Guildhall craft fayre. We made a decent dent in the first target! So I make and teach stained glass at the workshop I share with RAMP Ceramics by Silverton (hence all the recycled coloured glass for the coasters!!) We are doing our annual Christmas Open Studio weekend on this Saturday and Sunday. Roop Johnstone and Alice Hartford of RAMP will have some of their amazing ceramics and I will be selling Chilli Jam and coasters. The sale of my own items will all be going to Rosalinds fundraising. So if you fancy some chat come along and meet with the myriad of local crafters, makers and just nice people who turn up and have mulled wine/juice and mince pies (and cheese crackers and chilli jam!) I may even play some Frank Sinatra Christmas tunes....on the back road between silverton and rewe, look out for the bright orange sign to the Devon Applied Arts Workshop

(and yes, in the flyer Roop did forget the Le Breton "space", sigh! lol! story of my life....)

Bit of a simpler job this one, making some wonky panels for a wonky house. The yellow edging glass is actually about 200...
15/11/2025

Bit of a simpler job this one, making some wonky panels for a wonky house. The yellow edging glass is actually about 200 odd years old. Remenants from a rebuild I did of some panels bought at auction by a client in France and brought back to the UK. Apparently the panels were from an old nunnery. Nice to include that old glass in new pieces. But there is a beauty in simplicity. The main piece I'm working in at the moment is the opposite. Real tricky. Photos to follow......

Gosh where does the time go. Its Mid November!!! Its been a busy autumn although a bit hampered by the weather. But I to...
14/11/2025

Gosh where does the time go. Its Mid November!!! Its been a busy autumn although a bit hampered by the weather. But I took on a tricky repair job and although it took a while Im still very pleased with the end result. Some tricky metalwork repair! The glass repair at the workshop was the easier part! Evening classes are fully booked into the new year and weekend day classes have been going well. Still a couple of places left for the last class of the year on Sat Nov 22nd.

Finally I've completed this restoration of the Terry Frost Glass at the Exeter Phoenix. It's at the back of the cafe and...
14/09/2025

Finally I've completed this restoration of the Terry Frost Glass at the Exeter Phoenix. It's at the back of the cafe and had been in need of repair for several years. Lots of impact cracks from DJ record case lids balanced on the windowsill. Its not leaded glass but rather has been adhered directly onto the double glazed unit. Removing the broken sections was a slow process of gently warming and prising off the glass then carefully scraping the resin off. New pieces were cut to templates at the workshop then fine tuned on site. Colour matching was very difficult as this particular glass hasn't been made for nearly 20 years. Also had to contend with broken glass delivery due to supplier not packing properly!!! Grrr. To adhere a slow thickened hxtyl resin was used, which meant waking at 3am on the mornings of installs to mix it and so it was the right time thickened consistency to apply vertically during the day. Many of the lead cover slips were replaced and the whole panel cleaned and polished. Finally a custom made toughened glass sheet was fitted across the lower part of the design to avoid future damage issues. The protective glass was set into black painted brass runners so if the glass ever need to be removed for cleaning or maintenance it can be lifted out. You wouldnt know it was there but will hopefully keep it safe from now on. Very pleased with the end result!

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Devon Applied Arts Workshop Dunsmore
Silverton
EX54DU

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