WordPress Development

I'm a freelance WordPress developer based in Bristol, UK. For over a decade I've built fast, accessible, custom WordPress websites for agencies, charities, start-ups and established brands.

WordPress powers a huge chunk of the web, and for good reason. It's flexible, familiar to content teams and has a massive ecosystem behind it. But it's also easy to end up with a slow, bloated site held together by plugins. I build WordPress sites that are lean, easy to edit and built to last.

What I can help with

Custom WordPress themes

Bespoke themes built from scratch around your brand and content, not a page builder or a heavily modified off-the-shelf theme. Clean, semantic markup, modern CSS and only the JavaScript you actually need.

Gutenberg and ACF blocks

I build custom blocks with the WordPress block editor (Gutenberg) and Advanced Custom Fields, giving your team a library of on-brand components they can use to build pages without needing a developer, or breaking the design.

Headless WordPress

Sometimes WordPress works best as a content back end, with the front end built in a framework like Astro. Your editors keep the WordPress admin they know, while visitors get pre-rendered pages served from the edge. This is how I built the FutureKings website.

Performance and accessibility

Already have a WordPress site? I can audit it for performance and accessibility, then fix the issues: cutting down plugins, tidying up the database, optimising images and scripts, and making sure the site works with keyboards and screen readers. When I rebuilt Sentient Media's site, Lighthouse scores jumped, and both page weight and database size dropped.

Agency support

I regularly work with design and branding agencies as their WordPress development partner, turning designs into robust, accessible websites. Long-term partners include Oku Studio, Massive Media and Something Familiar.

How I work

Every project is different, but my WordPress builds usually include:

  • A custom theme, built with modern CSS and minimal JavaScript.
  • A library of Gutenberg and ACF blocks designed with your content team.
  • Accessibility built in from the start, not bolted on at the end.
  • Performance budgets, optimised images and careful use of third-party scripts.
  • Version-controlled code and a sensible deployment workflow.
  • Handover documentation and training, so your team is confident editing the site.

If you're also weighing up other CMSs, I build with Craft CMS too, and I'm happy to help you decide which one fits your project best.

WordPress projects

  • FutureKings

    Client: FutureKings

    • Astro.js
    • Headless WordPress
    • Lenis
    • Netlify

    The website for FutureKings, the Bristol and Amsterdam branding agency where I'm Development Lead, built with Astro and headless WordPress.

    Read the case study: FutureKings

  • Ticket to Antarctica

    Client: A Couple of Birds

    • WordPress
    • ACF
    • Leaflet Maps
    • Mailchimp
    • PHP
    • JS

    A British Antarctic Survey campaign that sends people's names to Antarctica, with a live journey tracker and travel journal, built over two seasons.

    Read the case study: Ticket to Antarctica

  • Durstons

    Client: FutureKings

    • WordPress
    • PHP
    • CSS
    • JS
    • Leaflet Maps

    A new WordPress website for Durstons, a UK maker of peat-free compost, bark and other growing media.

    Read the case study: Durstons

  • Keiser

    Client: FutureKings

    • WordPress
    • PHP
    • CSS
    • JS
    • Shopify

    A WordPress website for Keiser UK and Keiser Australia, presenting their air-resistance fitness equipment to gyms, studios and rehab clinics.

    Read the case study: Keiser

  • Berkshire Consultancy

    Client: FutureKings

    • WordPress
    • PHP
    • CSS
    • JS

    A WordPress website for Berkshire Consultancy, bringing their bold, illustrated learning and development brand to life online.

    Read the case study: Berkshire Consultancy

  • Sentient Media

    Client: Sentient Media

    • WordPress
    • Gutenberg
    • Internationalisation

    A fresh WordPress build for Sentient Media's rebrand, making their nonprofit newsroom faster, leaner and greener.

    Read the case study: Sentient Media

  • Conan

    Client: Something Familiar

    • AI
    • Leaflet Maps
    • WordPress
    • Bricks

    An interactive map of the Hyborian Age and an AI text adventure game for the official Conan the Barbarian website.

    Read the case study: Conan

  • Mute Animation

    Client: Oku Studio

    • WordPress
    • Gutenberg
    • Lottie
    • Barba.JS
    • ACF

    A playful, animation-packed WordPress website for Mute Animation, built with Oku Studio.

    Read the case study: Mute Animation

  • Woven

    Client: Oku Studio

    • WordPress
    • Gutenberg
    • Lottie
    • Barba.JS
    • CSS
    • JS

    A WordPress website with smooth scrolling and page transitions for Woven, a video production company, built with Oku Studio.

    Read the case study: Woven

  • Bristol Good Food 2030

    Client: Oku Studio

    • WordPress
    • Gutenberg
    • ACF
    • CSS
    • JS
    • A11y

    An accessible WordPress website for Bristol Good Food 2030, built with Oku Studio to help make Bristol's food system fairer and greener.

    Read the case study: Bristol Good Food 2030

  • Zeno

    Client: Massive Media

    • WordPress
    • Gutenberg
    • ACF
    • CSS
    • JS

    A new WordPress website for Zeno following its rebrand, supporting its goal of putting solar in over 1 million homes by 2040.

    Read the case study: Zeno

Let's talk about your project

Whether it's a brand new build, a rescue job or a second pair of eyes on an existing site, I'm always up for a chat.

Get in touch