Simon Grant-Jones - North Somerset Champion

Simon Grant-Jones - North Somerset Show Champion

Kingston Maurward College’s resident blacksmith and Forgework tutor Simon Grant-Jones, famed for his TV appearance on BBC’s Turn Back Time series in 2010, is champion again, this time at the North Somerset Show.

The winning screen was commissioned for the Kingston Maurward gardens by head gardener Nigel Hewish who wanted a piece of ironwork to reflect the period of the 18th Century mansion house.

The beautiful circular design, which took over 480 hours to complete, was created in iron with Acanthus leaves and sun motif oil-gilded using 23 ¾ carat gold.

Simon researched and manufactured the piece using techniques traditional to the period with inspiration taken from the work of Robert Bakewell and the Davies brothers who were renowned smiths from the 18th Century.

The screen was also used to show traditional forge techniques in the BBC4 programme ‘The Blacksmith’s Tale’, part of BBC4’s Metalworks series in May.

For more information go to kmc.ac.uk or call 01305 215 215.

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