DRAGON WORKS FORGE

Pictured left is Richard collecting his plaque at the Worshipful Company's Awards luncheon in London in October 2009. Presenting the award for Live Champion Blacksmith 2009 is Mr Keith Gabriel of the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths




From leaving school until the present day Richard has worked with metal in one form or another. He started out by making farm & industrial buildings & then moved onto quarry maintenance, working on Shute's, dead boxes & repairing plant. He then worked for a company who made spiral staircases, fabricated gates & railing. From here he went to work for Kevin McCloud at McCloud lighting. This is when his interest in blacksmithing began.

Kevin McCloud says "Between 1995 & 2003 Richard was an integral part of the business, responsible for developing & maintaining the high quality of forge work & metal fabrication. I have rarely met craftsmen of such dedication & who possesses such a love for his work & his materials".

When Canepa lighting took over from McClouds, Richard remained with the new company, making McCloud products & the new Canepa range until he was made redundant in 2007.

Past projects include spiral staircases, Gates, Railings, A 9 metre chandelier for the King of Jordan & chandeliers & wall lights for a cruise liner. Local works include a tree guard outside the library in Frome, hinges for recent project at Wells Cathedral and a well cover, oven door and bar stools for a restaurant conversion in Bruton.


To the right are selections of pictures of items mentioned above.