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England Travels: Backyard Blacksmith Workshop

Saturday, April 14, 2018.

Saturday morning, while Stephanie was out running, Chris gave me a tour of his workshop. This is not where his company is, it's the workshop in his back yard where his business started, then once it grew big enough he moved the business to a different, larger location. Originally the building was a bus garage.

Chris' company, Topp and Co. creates new metalwork for buildings wanting a certain look, as well as doing historical restoration. He's done work all over England and beyond, for St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, York Minster, and more. He's built replica cannons, done custom railings, gates, railings, and much more.

Blacksmiths from all over the world come and stay for a week or two to work and learn. Eric (?), a blacksmith from Poland, was there working on restoring the ornamentation on a wrought iron gate.

2018 England trip pictures

Part 1: The Arrival
Part 2: Cambridge (Part 1)
Part 3: Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
Part 4: Alnwick
Part 5: York
Part 6: Sutton Bank
Part 7: Thirsk
Part 8: Helmsley and Rievaulx

Part 9: Backyard Blacksmith Workshop
Part 10: Bagby Airfield
Part 11: Byland Abbey
Part 12: National Railway Museum
Part 13: Cambridge (Part 2)
Part 14: Cambridge Botanical Gardens
Part 15: The Departure

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Pieces the blacksmith was working on. The white paper they sit on have...(more)

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The spikes on the gate had all sorts of ornimentation that have rusted over the...(more)

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Close-up of an original pieces with sketches on the paper of the pieces that...(more)

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A restored piece.

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Heating up a piece of wrought iron in the forge.

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The "holder" for rods is actually the barrel of a fucking cannon that Chris...(more)

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Eric heats the metal in the forge.

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A piece of the wrought iron gate needing restoration, where pieces of the...(more)

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It's hammer time! Working and shaping the wrought iron.

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The metal red hot as the blacksmith hammers it.

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The outside of the workshop.

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Artfully forged wrought iron gifts by blacksmiths who have studied with Chris.

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A gift from a previous student/apprentice.

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One of the forges on the right and a pneumatic press in green on the left.

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Another, bigger, pneumatic press.

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Blacksmith tools: hammer, anvil, and brush.

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The fire in the forge.

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Eric and Chris talking.

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Top view of the hammer, anvil, and brish.

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Another view of the anvil with forge in the background. Note all the tools by...(more)

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More wrought iron art on the top of the workshop.

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The van for Chris' company Topp & Co..

2018 England trip pictures

Part 1: The Arrival
Part 2: Cambridge (Part 1)
Part 3: Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
Part 4: Alnwick
Part 5: York
Part 6: Sutton Bank
Part 7: Thirsk
Part 8: Helmsley and Rievaulx

Part 9: Backyard Blacksmith Workshop
Part 10: Bagby Airfield
Part 11: Byland Abbey
Part 12: National Railway Museum
Part 13: Cambridge (Part 2)
Part 14: Cambridge Botanical Gardens
Part 15: The Departure

This page last modified May 13, 2018.
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