THE BLACKSMITH
GREG ABEL
BLACKSMITH
Moretonhampstead, Dartmoor, Devon
One of just a handful of blacksmiths left on Dartmoor, Greg works in a 150-year-old stone forge, where vintage farm and farriers’ tools, made by previous smithies, still hang from the rafters.
Greg prefers to use traditional coal in the hearth rather than gas, which is now more commonly used, with hammer and anvil still his main tools.
Greg’s products include gates, railings, fireside sets, weather vanes, rose arches, knives and shoe-scrapers.
He says: “It's magical knowing that the forge has had so many smiths before me using the same skills and methods. I often wonder if they are they watching me, making sure that I am doing it right.”
To find out more about Sharif, please visit: www.sharifadams.co.uk
WHILE YOU'RE IN THE AREA:
- Visit the pretty thatched village of North Bovey
- Have a cream tea at Bovey Castle
- Stroke a pony at The Miniature Pony Centre
- Take a hike up Easdon Tor
- Stroll along the River Bovey
See Sharif turning a wooden bowl on a pole lathe, a craft dating back to the Iron Age. There'll also be a chance to try it yourself. One hour.
Cost: £40 per group for a one-hour workshop (maximum six people). Suitable for children (although they won't be able to use the lathe).
In this introduction to woodturning, you will use a pole lathe and Sharif's hand-forged tools to turn your own wooden bowl.
Cost: £75 per person for a four-hour session. Maximum two people per session. Not suitable for under-18s.
