William O'Brien
William O'Brien is a skilled and talented Blacksmith. He was born in Northwood, Middlesex where he served his apprenticeship to an Architectural Metal Worker for seven years, also studying Engineering at Uxbridge College. He continued to work as a Blacksmith in Middlesex, London and the surrounding areas.
In 1991 he moved from Northwood to the village of Berriew in Mid Wales where he now lives with his family, and where he slowly built up a blacksmithing business from home, and then set up a forge at Glansevern Hall. In 2000 he bought the spacious Berriew Wharf, where he works today.
William is creative and artistic by nature with a passion for his chosen profession combined with a strong desire to preserve the old methods of blacksmithing.
The process involved is to heat iron in a furnace and hammer it into shape. Some other terms used in this process are spreading, tapering, bending, punching, upsetting, splitting and welding and have to be carried out with considerable skill and careful timing. The most important tools used are the traditional forge, hammer, anvil and tongs and of course the power-hammer.
William makes hard steel flow into fluid shapes. Organic shapes like leaf form, fruit and flowers together with traditional scroll-and-forge work are just part of the repertoire of his skills. He particularly loves sculpture and creating sculptured pieces.
William's trade has developed into a new age, interpreting his traditional skills through contemporary forged metal work. He believes the craft is much freer nowadays, there is more scope for self-expression and it is this that will keep the craft alive and flourishing.
For William it is not work, it is a passion, a magical process of transformation and a most enjoyable and desirable profession
Clients range from Architects, Builders, Ecclesiastics, to work for the National Trust and CADW. William also carries out Private Commissions and Restoration Work and exhibits his work from time to time at local galleries, particularly the Glansevern Estate, Berriew.