Blacksmithing

These workshops we will explore the basics of blacksmith work including setting up a basic outdoor forge and fashioning basic metal items.

Blacksmithing has always been a vital support to the function of farms, but with industrialisation of steel making processes, the role of the village blacksmith has almost entirely disappeared. For Mount Wolfe Farm, the introduction of a forge onto the land is the beginning of a journey with the making and repair of metalwork items, and the possibility a forge brings for local resilient livelihoods.

The Mount Wolfe Farm Forge:

"The Other Wayland Smithy"

We are extremely lucky to have our own Forge at Mount Wolfe Farm. We were able to purchase a drum break forge, anvil and leg vise thanks to an SSHRC Grant for the University of Waterloo's HOL Project "Train the Trainer" programme. The Forge sits behind the Drive Shed between a line of black walnut trees and the pines of the Witches Forest. We built a rough shelter made from cedar grown on the farm. The forge can be booked for private use by arrangement.