Our next Open Day is planned for Spring 2011

As leading restorers of historic ironwork, designers, makers of modern art metalwork and experienced CPD seminar providers we welcome you to our workshop to gain first hand experience in the construction and specification of high quality ironwork using traditional craft skills.

Next date is to be confirmed
10.30 start - 16.30 finish
Buffet lunch provided
Demonstrations in the Morning

    * Blacksmiths forging techniques - Repoussé sheet metal work
    * Fire welding wrought iron billets - Wrought Iron Rolling mills

Talks in the Afternoon

    * Wrought Iron & Wrought Ironwork - Cast Iron
    * Restoration Techniques
    * Specifications for modern and restoration ironwork - Modern Blacksmithing

 
RSVP

Places are limited please contact us if you are interested
T: 01347 833173
E: enquiry@christopp.co.uk
Moor Lane Industrial Estate
Tholthorpe
York
YO61 1SR

At last! I've finally managed to get back to putting something down in writing. It has been a busy old time! What with launching this lovely website and making sure it is all running smoothly, which I am happy to say it now is.

 

Christmas has been great and I'm pleased to report that a good number of sales were made through Made by Hands of Britain, including from the US! I am filled with much hope and excitement for the coming year.

 

In October, which seems such a long time ago now, I had the pleasure of meeting some of the MBHOB makers in person. I had been invited to appear on a the breakfast programme of a Nothwest Digital Channel Shine, to talk about MBHOB and the British handmaking indusrty in general.

 

I wanted to be able to take some examples of work onto the programme with me and as a result spent the weekend tearing around four counties picking up makers' work and as a result having the oportunity to meet with them - what a treat!

 

It really is no wonder that these people are inspired to create and make when they live in such lovely places.

 

Here are a couple of shots I took on my travels.

 

      

 

I was completely lost when I took this picture but I can think of worse places to be lost in.

 

 

                                                     

 

This was the view from Smantha and Andrew Bradley's house of "Bert and Doris". I looked everywhere for that pot of gold! This scene belies the fact that they live up in the wilds of the Staffordshire hills - a windswept yet beautiful and clearly inspiring place.

 

Here is Samantha herself cuddling a couple of her adorable doll characters all made by herself at her dinining room table or (by her own admission) sometimes helped by her husband Andrew when they spend the long winter nights cuddled up in bed, filling the dolls with fluffy stuffing. Now there's dedication!

 

 

                                                     

 

Also in Staffordshire, I met with Charis Jones, the local and first lady blacksmith at the Etruria Industrial Museum who makes everything from jewellery to large scale architectural metalwork for public use and display. Go Charis!!

 

 

                                                      

 

Next to Malpas in Cheshire, where I met the very interesting John Bourne. A man on a mission when it comes to cheese. I was told in no uncertain terms that I must wait outside so as not to contiminate the ripening, while Mr. Bourne recorded his findings regarding his latest cheese experiment, the Anniversary Blue Cheshire, which as I was fortunate enough to taste it, I can safely say is absolutely delicious and truly unique. It's no wonder; the Bourne family have been making cheese for more than 80 years! They probably know what they're doing by now.

 

 

                                                     

 

Once in Greater Manchester (at the TV studios in fact), I was able to meet up with David Tragen, Furniture Designer Maker, who hand crafts the most beautiful contemporary furniture and wooden accessories, such as clocks and ligthing. David has a studio at the Islington Mill in Salford.

 

 

                                     

 

Also Charlotte Verity, with whom I met at the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair. She has perfected the technique of creating beads in the form of glass bubbles, which she somehow infuses with prescious metals such as gold, silver and platinum. Alchemy indeed! These are then made into the most beautiful pieces of jewellery. Charlotte has a studio at the Manchester Craft Centre in the Bohemian Northern Quarter.

 

 

                                                     

 

Part of my travels seemed a little like a treasure hunt as I had to find things like jewellery left in a secret place by Claire Troughton and to top it off, on my return home I found the most delectable box of chocolates in my porch, left by Karen Hunnisett of Simply Cocoa. No guesses for what Gilly did next!

 

What a journey! But what an adventure too and meeting such lovely, unique and dedicated characters along the way.

 

One thing to mention is that since this time, poor Claire Troughton, who despite being faced with utter ruin after losing her studio with all it's contents to a fire, is picking herself up, dusting herself off and starting all over again, the phoenix is truly rising from the ashes! This proves that makers are born not bred.

 

                                                          

When a young enthusiastic and ambitious Chris Topp started up his own blacksmith business in rural North Yorkshire, he could not have dreamt that 30 years later he could boast amongst his clients Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, Hampton Court and a long list of stately homes, cathedrals and major historic public and commercial buildings.

This year, 2012, is the 30th anniversary Chris Topp Ltd. The company is now regarded as the market leader in Britain in the restoration of heritage ironwork, particularly in their speciality of genuine wrought iron.   They believe they are the only company in the world still producing wrought iron!

They also have an excellent reputation in the design and production of new high quality ironwork, working not only in wrought iron, but with a variety of metals – cast iron, mild and stainless steel, bronze, brass and copper included.  

And while Chris Topp appreciates the prestige and image boost that results from working on large national heritage sites, he and his team are equally at home creating small objects making repairs to churches ‘ ironwork and commissions for private houses.

The company also administer within their two rural workshops north of York, the Real Wrought Iron Company which produces charcoal and puddled wrought iron which is both used in their own work and supplied to other blacksmiths. Genuine wrought iron -resistant to corrosion- can last centuries and was produced many centuries before the industrial revolution eventually lead to the introduction of mass-produced mild steel.

Today the company has 15 employees including a number of highly skilled smiths with various specialist forging experience – a far cry from Chris and one young apprentice back in 1982. He recalls his proud first commission of making the historic ironwork at Middleton Hall near York when it became a luxury hotel. It earned him £9,000, a huge sum in those days.

Over the years there has been steady growth in the company which is now fortunate to regularly handle contracts worth hundreds of thousands of pounds from well-known commercial and government bodies.

Chris has a real passion particularly in the field of restoration of ancient ironwork, and new ironwork for ancient buildings. A good example was made last year (2011) when the company created a new altar screen for Ely Cathedral using ancient materials and techniques but to a modern design. Says Chris Topp: “it gives my team and I quite a thrill when we realise that this item is likely to remain in this location, untouched for centuries”. The screen and accompanying items were made in genuine wrought iron and re-rolled from anchor chains acquired from the former Gibraltar naval yard.

There is a huge public misconception on what is genuine wrought iron however Chris Topp & Co are experts in the field. Often any form of intricate iron work in gardens or on gates and railings is incorrectly referred to as being ‘wrought iron’ while in fact being made in cast iron or mild steel.   You are certainly not likely to find any product in your local DIY store made of genuine wrought iron and the difference in value between the ‘real thing’ and imitations is enormous as is the life expectancy of the two products.

It is of no surprise therefore that the company is often called in by Trading Standards officers and other bodies to advise as to the authenticity of an alleged item of ‘wrought iron’. ‘Important’ says Chris, ‘because of the need to increase the understanding of the production of traditional iron materials’.

To Chris too many priceless pieces of historic wrought iron are being ruined forever by the repair or restoration with iron and steel materials and not real wrought iron.   He works tirelessly in the field of metallurgy and archaeology in raising the standard of restoration work by blacksmiths and bodies working in the field of historic buildings. He is frequently consulted on archaeology by bodies such as the BBC ‘Time Team’ film makers.

As Chris Topp looks to the future he has increasing worries about the training of new entrants to heritage ironwork. He was a leading light in the formation in 2009 of the National Heritage Ironwork Group (NHIG).

NHIG aims to preserve the skills of ancient ironwork smiths and thanks to help from a Heritage Lottery Fund grant awarded under its ‘Skills for the Future’ programme has set up a training bursary. There is little formal training for heritage blacksmiths in the Europe and Chris Topp and Co frequently employ other nationalities keen to gain experience in ornamental design and restoration work.

Chris would also like to see the profile of blacksmiths raised and their artistic work recognised as an art form. Although there are thousands of great ornamental ironwork items in this country blacksmiths are seldom represented as artists.

Chris would like to encourage the incorporation of high quality ornamental metalwork into the design of prestigious new buildings. The provision of gates and railings is often left to last when they are the first thing visitors see and the opportunity is lost to give that all important first good impression?

Would you like to work for Ironart? We are seeking an apprentice…

 

Do you know anyone who would be interested in working for us as an apprentice? We are offering a position which is to start in January 2012. The team of blacksmiths here at Ironart are highly skilled and have a wealth of knowledge to pass on to anyone looking to start a career in metalworking.  Ideally candidates should be 18+, motivated,  hardworking and with a keen eye for detail. Here is the advert we’ve posted locally - please spread the word!

 

NB: NEWSFLASH!!!  WE HAVE EXTENDED THE DEADLINE FOR APPLICANTS TO MONDAY 16th JANUARY 2012.

          Ironart Apprenticeship Advert – December 2011

 

Please telephone 01225 311273 or contact us via email for further enquiries.