Hot off the press.

Richard Wyatt,

Not long to go now before 25 blacksmiths’ forges are installed in Bath’s Parade Gardens ready for the launch of the city’s first Festival of Ironwork when – from Thursday, June 14th to Sunday, June 17th – this beautiful riverside floral space will be full of the most amazing skilled craftspeople and conservators.

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The Festival marketing is being handled by Niki Jewett who told Bath Newseum:
‘ We are very excited to have signed off the final programme – which will be given out free to all visitors – which has our Bath Ironwork Walk on one side with lovely drawings by architect and illustrator Michael Paul Lewis.
I have attached a sneaky preview of part of it. ‘
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Niki has also forwarded me the complete list of talks which will be held during the BathIron Festival.

Craft & Conservation Talks  – The Brunswick Room, Guildhall, High St, City Centre, Bath BA1 5AW

Saturday 16th June
10:00 The Nowhere Forge: A Travelling Blacksmith                            Simon Bushell – Artist Blacksmith
11:00 Art, Work, Life balance                                                             Pete Clutterbuck – Master Blacksmith
12:00 From candle wax to flatpack – a lifetime of design and making    Alan Dawson – Artist Blacksmith
14:00 Ratho Byres Forge – A Case Study                                             Shona Johnson – Master Blacksmith
15:00 Simple Turns Complicated: Wells Cathedral Handrails                  Andy Thearle – Metalwork Designer Maker, Bath                                                                                                                              IRON Creative Director
16:00 Restoration of the Hereford Screen                                            Brian Hall – Conservator
18:30 Private Screening for blacksmiths of The Devil’s Blacksmith + Q&A  Walfrid Huber – Master Blacksmith


Sunday 17th June
10:00 Conservation Blacksmiths: restoration & conservation of historic ironworks Brian Hall  – Conservator
11:00 Archaeological Ironworking                                                       Hector Cole – MBE Master Arrowsmith
12:00 Bath’s Iron Bridges                                                                     Dave Ghent – Conservation Engineer
14:00 Screening of Devil’s Blacksmith followed by Q&A                      Walfrid Huber – Master Blacksmith

15:00  Art & Craft: Historic Relationships.                                           Marc Allum – Antiques Roadshow Arts & Craft                                                                                                                                specialist

Tickets £30 for 2 day ticket/ £20 for 1 day ticket/ £5 per talk

Tickets available on the door with cash or  at the Welcome tent in Parade Gardens by card.

Here’s a link for purchasing tickets:
Don’t forget – as part of the Festival – our blacksmiths will be producing new railings for the Parade Gardens Bandstand.

Published by Richard Wyatt

Freelance Journalist, broadcaster, columnist and local historian. Director of Bath Newseum. Married and lives in Bath. Interested in local history, architecture and visual display in museums and urban spaces.