Family / ss Great Britain
Blacksmiths in town for Easter holidays
The Herefordshire duo Elliot Harrison and Paul Stoddart, the youngest blacksmiths in the UK, use the Victorian method of crafting chains used for anchoring boats from a cylinder of steel.
The pair are currently showcasing their skills at the SS Great Britain as part of the Fire & Iron Festival, taking place throughout the Easter holidays.
The steel used to make the chain is first cut to length then heated to about 800-degrees using a traditional blacksmith’s forge before then being bent into a u-shape. The ends are then ‘scarfed’ using a mallet on top of an iron work surface called an ‘admiral’.
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Elliot and Paul set up their own blacksmiths business, Kingdom Forge, named after Brunel himself, after studying the trade at college.
The two met at an experience day where they had the chance to learnt essential skills. Paul said that they “both love going back to the roots of the craft, using hammer, anvil and fire to forge items exactly how we want”.
”The greatest thing about the job is the amazing range of items we can make,” Paul continues. “One day we’ll be knife making, the next doing heavy forging under our big hammer, and the next doing jewellery making.
“It’s this variation in work that keeps us constantly fascinated and forever learning.”
The pair take inspiration from the traditional work of Brunel, even incorporating his famous stove pipe hat into their logo.
The Fire & Iron Festival takes place at the SS Great Britain until April 22. For more information, visit www.ssgreatbritain.org/whats-on/easter-fire-iron-festival
Read more: Behind the scenes at The SS Great Britain
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