Blacksmithing - an introduction to the forge

See course details, dates, costs, tutors & stories from students below

COURSE DETAILS

Award winning Rich Jones from Heat & Beat will guide you through the ancient skills of blacksmithing, learning the elementary techniques needed to form and forge steel.

Rich offers sessions of varying length, from a four hour taster day up to a full two days. On each of these courses you will make simple but beautifully crafted items for everyday use and a memory that will stay with you forever. Using hammers, traditional hand tools and a forge, you will learn about upsetting your metal and drawing it down, chiselling, doming and using the horn of your anvil to forge various shapes into your hot steel.

See course dates below for details of design options. These simple but challenging designs will give you plenty to learn.

DATES

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30 November 2025 - 4hr taster

Bottle openers or hanging basket bracket (9am - 1pm)

Wall hooks or Celtic swirl pendant (1.30pm - 5.30pm)

25-26 April 2026 - 2 days

Dragon fire poker and wall hook

13 December 2026 - 1 day

Leaf fire poker

We are also planning an AXE MAKING course so please let us know if you are interested... dates coming soon.

COSTS

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Blacksmithing 4hr taster - Special offer £95 materials included

Tea & coffee included in your course price

1 day blacksmithing - £150 tuition plus £30 materials

2 day blacksmithing - £265 tuition plus £50 materials

Tea, coffee and simple lunch included in your course price

We also offer accommodation & evening meals

Click here to see what we offer

This course is aimed at adults, aged 18yrs + and is suitable for beginners to those with experience

Please be sure to read terms & conditions before you book

YOUR TUTOR

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Rich Jones is an artist blacksmith from Dyserth, North Wales. His blacksmithing began in Llandudno before studying at Herefordshire College of Blacksmithing. He undertook his Journeyman in Gdansk, Poland, and later worked in France. He returned to Wales for an apprenticeship before setting up his own company, Heat & Beat in 2000.

Since establishing Heat & Beat, Rich has produced a wide range of work, from public art commissions to bespoke gates, railings, and restoration. His distinctive style draws inspiration from nature’s forms and shapes, combined with his love of geometric structures.

His work can be seen at well-known landmarks along the Clwydian Range, including an all-seeing crow perched on a simple gate leading to Castell Dinas Brân, and the benches and gates on Moel Famau, just a hill or two from Wernog Wood… and many more.

Details

Costs

Dates

Tutor

Stories from our students

We had a great time on the blacksmith course. I can’t believe we made something so beautiful. It was hard work for me but very rewarding and fascinating to see how the whole process transformed such a hard material into something beautiful and useful. Rich was a great teacher very knowledgeable, encouraging and guided us through the whole experience. Wernog Wood craft centre is a warm and welcoming, nurturing place and I would definitely recommend and would love to try some of the other courses too. Thanks to the team there for a fantastic weekend - Aillie

Ridiculously pleased with myself - thank you for an amazing experience. If you ever get the chance to do something at Wernog Wood - do it!

- Nicky

We had a fantastic two days supported by Rich who was patient, supportive and knowledgable.

Claire thank you for the organisation and delightful alfresco lunches.

We also met new friends from throughout North Wales and the South of England.

Diolch yn Fawr - Wendy

When Rich said we were going to make a poker like that we couldn't believe it, but we did. About 12 different processes of beating and twisting and pounding.

Thoroughly inspired by our tutor Rich. He had a way of skilfully tweaking and overseeing our work as we did it so that we produced a good quality item whilst feeling it was all our own work.