I am Clare, the woman behind Smeltdown Blacksmiths.
My work is rooted in folklore and history, with a strong pull toward the alternative and the macabre. Alongside my contemporary practice, I have a passion for historical and archaeological ironwork. That often means spending a lot of time staring at tool marks, corrosion, and construction details, trying to work out how something was made centuries ago, then recreating it using traditional materials and techniques. Through this process, I aim to better understand both the craft and the people who practised it.
I trained at the National School of Blacksmithing, completing a BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Blacksmithing with Distinction*. Between my Level 2 and Level 3 academic years, I worked as a trainee blacksmith at Vaughan’s Hope Works in Stourbridge, where I gained valuable experience in industrial production, making foundry equipment, tongs and tools.
Before becoming a blacksmith, I worked as a primary school teacher. While teaching offered financial stability, it came at the cost of my mental and physical wellbeing. Leaving teaching was terrifying but it also meant finding a career I actually look forward to when the alarm goes off and led me back to working with my hands, materials and history.
I’ve been fortunate to work on a range of significant projects, including the replication of the Ladby Anchor for the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, a National Trust collaboration with Peter Parkinson, appearing on Series 3 of Make It at Market and having work held in the Salzburg Museum in Austria. I currently work alongside the incomparable Rowan Taylor in Ellesmere and the past few years have been some of the most rewarding, both personally and professionally.
I love blacksmithing as a craft and as a community. If you’d like to talk about commissions, collaborations, or just want to ask a question, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
