Colin Grace was introduced to the art of blacksmithing at the age of nine. The glowing column of red-hot iron, the whack of the anvil forcing it into shape and the hiss as it plunged into water was all part and parcel of his Saturday job at his grandfather’s forge at Drayton. So, when he saw that Clifton Hampden's historic forge was in danger of closing down, he took it over.
He said: "Every village used to have a blacksmith, whether they were mending saucepan handles or farm machinery. There were once 600 blacksmiths in Oxfordshire but now it is a dying trade. You go through villages and you see houses called The Old Forge. That is all that is left.”
As for shoeing horses, that is done by farriers, not blacksmiths.
Mr Grace’s grandfather Arthur trained with Steventon village blacksmith Freddie Lee and then went into the army during the Second World War. When he came out he came back to his roots and set up as a blacksmith in Drayton.
He added: “I was working in the forge from a young age, as you did in those days, doing welding and all sorts. I did ironwork and when a horse came to be shoed, If they looked as if they were likely to kick, I would hold them."”
More than 50 years later, he still specialises in metal, running AW Grace & Sons, a fabrication group based at Culham, providing structural beams, security doors, mobility ramps and handrails for builders, councils, hospitals, farmers, restaurants and retailers throughout the Thames Valley.
He said: “We took over Turnpike Forge two or three years ago, for nostalgic reasons really. A few people had tried to make a go of it, but without the back-up of a group of companies it was difficult. For us, it's a bit of a front door, because we can do anything in metal, big or small.”
Colin’s father Ben had taken over the Drayton business after leaving the Cowley car factory, but realised the writing was on the wall for traditional blacksmithing, and expanded into metal stockholding and fabrication. The larger-scale work needed more space, and the company expanded to an industrial unit at the former Culham airfield.
"We are keeping the tradition alive because there are still people who like bespoke ironwork. We are in an area with a lot of schools and colleges in old buildings where, even if they have a drainpipe broken, it has to be mended in the traditional way. Plastic guttering is not suitable. “I think we are in a good area for this kind of work, so a traditional village forge is perfect for us.”
The Turnpike Forge is steeped in history. In 1971, the Oxford Mail carried a photograph (right) of the sword of William Dyke, buried at Clifton Hampden Church, who allegedly accidentally fired the first shot that started the Battle of Waterloo.
The sword was wielded in the photograph by Clifton Hampden blacksmith Vincent Bargus, who had inherited from his father Herbert. Both men ran the garage next door on the Abingdon Road, as well as the forge, and Herbert sent horseshoes and cartwheels via Culham aerodrome to the First World War battlefields of France.
The brick-kiln forge holds no mysteries for Mr Grace, nor for his blacksmiths, Adrian Blewitt and Jonathan Crewe, both of whom served apprenticeships.
Mr Crewe, 28, was trained just a few years ago by AW Grace, but had to go to Warwick for his college studies — the nearest blacksmithing course available.
The kiln is powered by coke, which holds its heat better than coal.
"The metal has to be exactly the right temperature before you whack it," said Mr Grace.
It is all very different from the modern beam welder at Culham, which uses a temperature-controlled electronic process to join RSJs and steel sheets.
The company recruited Mr Crewe from art school so that he could bring his design skills to the craft and Mr Grace is proud that he has produced “real works of art” for people wanting bespoke decorative ironwork. The forge also makes more functional items such as firebacks, railings and gates — and even pokers for those who want to recreate the red-hot blacksmithing experience.
Mr Grace believes Turnpike Forge is one of only a handful of blacksmiths remaining in Oxfordshire. “The old blacksmiths were not bringing on apprentices. Many of them worked on their own and they did not pass on the knowledge. That is why, when they pack up, the forges shut down. We are trying to keep the tradition alive,” he said.
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