Fransham Forge reviews

11 Jun 18'

Margaret Lock reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"just come back from a 2 day courses with Nigel, found him to be a really good teacher. I enjoyed every bit of it, made some great bulrushes ,and other things. I stopped in one of the shepherds huts, very clean and comfy. I would not hesitate in recommending this courses"

29 May 18'

David Jackson reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"A magical day of forging with the charming Nigel; with Robin, Julian and me. Knowledge, expertise, amazing stories and kindness - and catch phrases for life! 'The hammer will find you!' 'It's a design change!' 'The blacksmith's vice has no teeth and this one's actually made from an old canon'. Surrounded by scary heavy hammers and monster machines; with welding, twisting, cutting and honing. And a new knife made from hardened steel saved from an ancient wrecked farm machine. There's even a giant whistle in the woods - and Nigel's a surprising whistle player too with hundreds of beguiling tunes! Two peacocks in the tree, the wonderful wood and a cosy Shepherd's Hut. What more could you ask for? What a total inspiration!"

26 May 18'

Julian Foulkes reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"What a great and special day we had with Nigel. Great company, great stories, great whistle performances and of course great forging."

24 May 18'

A.Rowland reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"Spent the day with Nigel on the 19th May. Excellent day. Nigel has so many stories and information. He clearly loves his craft. Thoroughly recommend this course to anyone who's never picked up a hammer. Nigel manages to put you at ease with all the tools and machinery small and large! Will definately be back for another day"

27 Apr 18'

Ivor Hudson reviewed: Welding with confidence

"Excellent Course, and just what I needed to get me MIG welding. Nigel is a very friendly and helpful instructor and he soon spotted what I was doing wrong and put me right. Lots of opportunity to try different welding machines, and much helpful advice from someone who is a very accomplished and experienced welder. Thank you Nigel"

26 Apr 18'

Elinor and Richard reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"I highly recommend this course, It’s a great introduction to blacksmithing and beat all my expectations. Nigel is really friendly and very passionate about his work. We stayed in a shepherd hut which was really cosy and peaceful and was nicely tucked away in the woods. Everything you need is provided for a truely memorable weekend."

7 Apr 18'

Norman Boyd reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"If you read all the other reviews you'll see that Nigel is a brilliant raconteur and knows exactly what he is doing in smithing and I agree. He is friendly and approachable and very giving. The layout of the course follows a pattern I would expect - theory, practice, theory, practice and self-learning time based on demonstrations. I loved the fact he assured us we could not make mistakes but can produce individual works! This is so important for an insecure beginner and here is my minor criticism. I would have liked to see him hovering a bit more to ensure learning had taken place. But that might be the educationalist in me talking! BUT as I say I agree with the other reviews here...and who doesn't like a good story! Thanks Nigel for a very interesting day and my three bits of work!"

18 Mar 18'

Jessica benstead reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"I spent two days with Nigel and I loved every minute, he is welcoming and is full of brilliant stories and knowledge, this is a profession he clearly loves and loves to share with people. The Shepard Hut was lovely, very cute and sweet, I went to a pub down the road for dinner that was awesome. The sculpture trail is lovely, there's a little river and grass, even a resident cat and peacock. I didn't have anything in mind to make so Nigel gave me options of things to do and developed me from there. He's patient and even when it wasn't quite right he made it work! I spoke to Maxine via email. I rearranged a few times to make it work with my work and she was really helpful. I will certainly be back :)"

5 Mar 18'

Martin Cavicchioni reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"This was a birthday gift from my fiancee and what a cracker of a day it turned out to be! What can I say about Nigel that hasn't already been said, brilliant, funny, entertaining and of course a true craftsman and artist in every sense of the word. The workshops reflect Nigel's passion, filled with a fabulous collection of mechanical hammers and tools from a bygone era and the gardens with shepherd huts and sculptures. At the end of the day to walk away with several hand crafted pieces, ( which I was very happy with ) is a true reflection of Nigel's ability to convey his passion and wealth of knowledge to all around him. A huge thank you to Nigel for the best day I've had in years and look forward to booking my next course soon."

22 Feb 18'

graham butcher reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"Outstanding experience exceeded my expectations. Nigel is a natural teacher - and story teller! Minimal, but sufficient, tell and show - maximum hands on learning, just what I wanted."

24 Jan 18'

Shaun Dickson reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"I had another wonderful day at Fransham Forge hoping to make some tools . As before Nigel far exceeded anything I had hoped for . I went home with a lot of new skills to develop my hobby and many useful new tools made under Nigels expert guidance , tongs , scrolling tools , hammer drift and others. Had a fantastic day . I would recommend Fransham to anyone for a new experience or to learn the craft from an expert."

15 Jan 18'

Angela reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"Bought the one-day course as a Christmas gift for my 14 year old son. He had a fantastic day - please pass on our thanks to Nigel. He has been buzzing about it ever since, and can't wait to visit again. He is thrilled with what he made... Particularly the Viking knife!"

14 Dec 17'

Chad Frary reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"I attended a 2 day workshop with Nigel in December. Initial comms were good, and Nigel adjusted his calendar to accommodate me on the Friday. The course was excellent, with Nigel offering the tuition as required, then trust you to "have a go" yourself, offering guidance on how to improve your skills. Nigel guided me on making some traditional pokers (not your boring type, really fancy), drifts, devils horns, tongs, etc. Everything I needed to get myself started at home! Safety is paramount in his workshop, especially as you have access to hot forges, metal, powerhammers, etc. Nigel ensures the environment is a safe place to learn the amazing art of blacksmithing. Don't hesitate, book now to learn from the master blacksmith! Thanks Nigel and Maxine...."

9 Dec 17'

Bob Canham reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"I haven't had any more fun in my life. I did a 1 day course and loved it. I walked away with a keyring, fire poker, fire shovel and a razor sharp knife. It was a brilliant day and would highly recommend anyone to do it."

8 Dec 17'

Justin and Ben Maeers reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"We attended the two day course. It started with a sensible amount of health and safety, and then we were straight into forging! We learnt how to heat metal to an appropriate temperature, and then how to use a hand hammer before moving swiftly on to using the power hammers. Nigel demonstrated how to perform each step of the basics of forging, and then left us to get on and try ourselves. we improved rapidly, from a very unsure start to feeling more confident and actually producing some satisfying results. Day one, we made pokers with fancy twists and decoration a shovel and a bottle opener, all forged from mild steel bar. Day 2, Nigel asked what we would like to do, and Ben opted for making Damascus steel, which he made from scrap hack saw blades and banding, all stacked up than fire welded together. the resulting things he made from it (several spoons and a knife) are truly beautiful. I made a steel 'Amonite' which i then forged into two white hot steel blocks, then melted it in the forge to make a steel 'Amonite Fossil' We stayed in one of Nigel's caravans, had an open fire outside... a great couple of days. Thanks Nigel!"

2 Dec 17'

Toby Gould reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"Fantastic day with Nigel, my 13 year old son and I trying out lots of techniques and each coming back with 4 different objects made during the day. A lot of fun, with plenty of storytelling but also great advice and an friendly atmosphere allowing you to just give something a go. We're planning a second trip where we know more what we want to do. Thanks for a great day."

24 Nov 17'

Kirsty reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"My partner and I did a single day course at the forge, absolutely loved it, really pleased with everything we made. Wish we'd had a week to keep going with it really. Made me cross all over again that girls weren't allowed to do metalwork when I was at school!"

21 Nov 17'

John reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"Brilliant two days with Nigel. Learnt a lot and was surprised at how much I managed to do. Poker, pooper scooper and acorn on the first day. My partner wanted a bullrush and I made several on the second day. She is over the moon and is planning where to put them in the garden. Hope to return."

20 Nov 17'

Derek reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"Have just spent two days at Fransham Forge learning from Nigel’s vast knowledge and experience. He showed how metal has it’s own life and how to work it to make a variety of items. It was two enjoyable, relaxed days with Nigel’s fund of stories. A look around the sculpture park is a must to see Nigel’s artistic talent."

14 Nov 17'

Stefon cieschinger reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"Attended this course on the 11th of November absolutely loved it Nigels a top bloke had a laugh and learnt loads of new skills would recommend this course to anyone thats looking for a great day out and to learn something new I'll definitely be going again"

12 Nov 17'

Graham Johnson. reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"Just had 2 great days { 10/11th November} Plenty of hands on experience. Nigel was very helpful with loads of knowledge which he was happy to share. Plenty of banter with lots of hard work. Worked with some really great people on both days. Made a poker, BBQ shovel, an acorn key ring, a leaf pendant and my pride and joy a 5x poppy display made ready for remembrance Sunday. I would highly recommend this course for anyone who likes to get their hands dirty and not afraid of hard work. Lots to take home and show your family. A special thank you to Nigel. Cheers buddy!"

11 Nov 17'

Barry Gibbins reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"Great course. Full day of information, history and practical demonstration and tuition. Nigel is a fun guy and a master of his craft. Throughly enjoyed it and looking forward to going again."

10 Nov 17'

Richard Godfrey-Cook reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"Second time at the forge. This time I took my step son and we made some amazing stuff thanks to Nigel, a true master craftsman. We both loved it so much we will probably return every year. Its a great course. Thanks Nigel."

8 Nov 17'

Steve Castle reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"The one day course was booked for me by my wife as a birthday present. It was a very enjoyable time - Nigel's laid-back style of training helped me to gain a basic understanding of what can be done with some heat and not-so-heavy hammer. Rather than getting us to do small practice exercises, each step in developing your technique led ultimately to some very useful items. The shop and sculpture garden provided ample ideas for projects and are worth a visit in their own right."

7 Nov 17'

Dave Atkins reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"Just completed my 3rd 2 day course with Nigel - never realised how much fun getting your hands dirty can be. Hard work but thoroughly enjoyable time and left with 2 stunning garden sculptures (by my standards anyway!). Looking forward to the next time."