28/07/2026
Many years ago, a set of original drawings were discovered in an old blacksmith’s workshop as it was being demolished. Among them was an intricate design for a pair of wrought iron gates, believed to date back to the Victorian era. The original price on the drawing was the equivalent of around £185, although today a gate of this complexity would be worth many thousands.
Inspired by the skill of the craftsmen who came before him, Paul set himself the challenge of bringing those drawings back to life. It took ten months of painstaking work, not only forging every decorative detail by hand, but also producing all of the working measurements, as the original drawings showed only the finished design.
For Paul, who first learned his trade around a forge fire as an apprentice farrier, it became far more than a project. It was a chance to preserve traditional blacksmithing techniques, develop his own skills and pay tribute to the generations of craftsmen whose work still inspires today.
These gates remain one of the defining pieces in Stockwell Forge’s story, proving that while tools and techniques may evolve, true craftsmanship never goes out of style.
