A is a student at Freeman College who spent a trial day at Ridgeway Forge. He first had an induction with Andrew Renwick and was then supervised by Richard during the morning. Throughout the morning, A practised and applied his skills, using new techniques to create a curled bar, a chain link, and a bookend.
After lunch, he visited a recently restored 17th-century Trafalgar cannon, similar to the ones on HMS Victory (the team had already restored and painted), at BAW Coatings in Darnall to see the trial fit of the cannon onto a new timber carriage. This is a piece that Ridgeway Forge has been working on for the past few weeks. This was commissioned by Rotherham City Council and eventually made its way to Rotherham Town Hall, with a grand unveiling. The man who acquired the cannon (Don Scott, ex RAF Engineer) – Pictured with his wife (Mr & Mrs Scott), accompanied us for the visit and gave us the history of the cannon, as well as the story of how he came to acquire it.
He reflected on his day and what he had learnt: “I really enjoyed the opportunity to learn new techniques and meet Andrew Renwich and Richard Lewis, and learning new skills from Richard himself. I enjoyed meeting the special guests (Mr & Mrs Scott) and having the opportunity to see the cannon that was found and restored, as well as learn about its history. I enjoyed the opportunity to take part in the day. It was nice to see that they were able to restore the cannon and the carriage itself by copying the originals, both made from oak. It’s nice to see the two traditional trades (blacksmithing and woodwork) used together to restore a historical piece”
