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From an early age
Hector Cole has had a fascination for all aspects of the forging of iron.
His first piece of work; a pig ring, was produced
at the age of four and a half! During Hector’s
early childhood he grasped every available opportunity to spend time with
the village blacksmith, learning the basic skills of forging and fire
management in the small Lincolnshire village
in rural England
where he grew up.
Since 1970 hector Cole has run his own iron working business in Wiltshire, England. He has always specialised in the recreation and development of
traditional hand forging techniques, and has over the years established a
worldwide reputation as one of the leading exponents of high quality
traditionally produced ironwork, and specialist restoration work using
original wrought iron. The majority of Hector’s
work is done on a commission basis, and when he is not working on
commissioned pieces he spends time researching methods and techniques of Mediaeval , Early Iron age and Anglo Saxon ironworkers.
Visits to Hector’s forge are available by
appointment and visitors are welcome to watch the often spectacular process
of forging and manipulating iron in the traditional setting of the open
fired forge.
Hector’s interest in early iron working
techniques has led to him undertaking extensive research into the
relatively little known skills of Iron Age, Anglo Saxon and Mediaeval
ironworkers. The forging of quality Mediaeval swords and daggers has become
a specialism of Hector’s,
and his use of the techniques contemporary to the period has earned him
international respect as an authority on the subject. As a master arrowsmith Hector is a leading authority on the
traditional production of forged arrowheads and his international
reputation has led to lectures and demonstrations on arrowsmithing
at renowned centres of research such as the Tower of London.
A fellow and silver medal holder of the Worshipful company of Blacksmiths,
a Judge for the National Blacksmiths Competition Committee, and a founder
member of the Local Crafts of Wessex, Hector
takes an active role in the promotion of the traditions of blacksmithing
and iron working. He believes passionately in the importance of the
preservation and passing on of these traditional skills and run courses in
basic forge work, blade and arrowsmithing on a
regular basis.
Major commissions.
Main entrance gates for His Royal Highness Prince Charles’ house at
High Grove, Tetbury, Gloucestershire.
Fire screens and fire baskets for her Highness The Princess Royal at Gatcombe park, Gloucestershire.
Fire screens and fire irons for Balmoral Lodge, Scotland.
Candle sticks for her Royal Highness the Queen mother.
Candle sticks for the King and Queen of Norway.
Restoration of ironwork for Lord Rothschild at Waddestone
Manor, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
Gates and sign for the Cotswold perfumery, Bourton
on The Water, Gloucestershire.
Main Entrance gates to Charlton
Park, Wiltshire for
Lord Suffolk.
Mediaeval ironwork for Danish museum.
Mediaeval iron cannon barrel for private Danish Client.
Mediaeval windows and door furniture for Cullacote
Manor, Cornwall.
Saxon patterned sword blade for the BBC’s “Meet the
ancestors” series.
Mediaeval windows for Abbey House Malmesbury and
for private clients, Stanton St John Manor, Oxfordshire.
14th Century replica hand gun for Yorkshire Television’s “Arms
in Action” series.
16th Century glover’s tools for the Shakespeare Trust.
Arrowheads and whaling harpoons for the Royal Armories.
Wind vane for Dr Bells and St Matthias School, Bristol.
Pole weapons for the Mary rose trust, Portsmouth.
Malmort arrowhead for The Royal Armories, Leeds.
Medieval shipwrights tools roves and nails for the Newport ship project.
Exhibitions, demonstrations and lectures.
British Artist Blacksmiths Association, International Conference, Hereford, 1988.
Wessex
Iron, Guild Hall, Winchester,
1989.
International Festival of iron, Cardiff1989
International Archaeological Conference on Early Ironworking. 1995.
International Medieval Conference, Leeds,
1996
International Archaeological Conference, Wales 1997.
British Artist Blacksmiths Conference, 1999.
Hector Cole was awarded the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths Diploma of
Merit in 1981, the Bronze Medal in1993, and the Silver Medal in 1996.
Museums around the world hold examples of Hector Cole’s work, and he
is a regular supplier of artefacts for the Royal
Armories in Leeds.
All Hector Cole’s products are archaeologically correct, and are hand
forged using the techniques contemporary to the period of the artefact.
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