Beyond catches up with the Yorkshire blacksmith who is keeping the heritage and legacy of the profession alive with incredible results.

By Mark Bowness

Pictures by Laura Mate

The hanging anvil sign above the entrance of Tom Bromley’s workshop is a clue to what goes on inside but it is only when you enter via a small green door that you can fully appreciate the scale of his operation.

For this is where the magic happens and as one of the few remaining traditional blacksmiths left in the country, Tom is relishing his life as a forger in Ilkley.

Specialising in a full range of metal works including blacksmithing, copper smithing and welding, Tom has seen demand for his incredible metalwork, repairs and restoration skills go through the roof since launching his business five years ago.

And amidst a workshop full of tools and beautiful commissions, ranging from cutlery to garden furniture and Victorian lamps to candlesticks, Tom is clearly in his element repairing and creating the most amazing pieces of work.

Having grown up in Ilkley and previously worked as a landscape gardener, Tom had always enjoyed making things with his hands and a weekend hobby of carving wooden sculptures soon turned into an interest for creating kitchenware and cutlery fabricated from copper and steel which he sold as individual pieces.

As his interest grew, so did his skills and before long he started to create larger bespoke items and take on commission work, which ultimately led to his decision to set up his own blacksmithing and copper smithing business.

And so, in 2020 Burnt Orchid – named after a rare wild Yorkshire flower – was born with Tom moving the business to his current Ilkley workshop on Wharfe View Road in 2023.

Looking back, he said: “As a landscape gardener I used to get take tree logs and whittle spoons out of them and one day I thought I’d try and do the same out of metal – that is where it all started and as somebody who is quite good at looking at things and figuring out how to make them, I was soon hooked.”

And when Tom got the opportunity to purchase a huge selection of tools and equipment from a retiring blacksmith, who worked close by, he jumped at the chance to forge ahead with his ambitious plans.

That extensive array of tools, tongs and horseshoe vices that are used for the various smithing duties now proudly hang on the wall of Tom’s workshop and he loves the history they each hold.

He said: “I was incredibly lucky to find a workspace in Ilkley like this one while at the same time inherit so many treasured tools that have spent generations creating and crafting metal and I’m loving being able to keep those tools and traditions going.”

Among Tom’s many creations are bespoke furniture for indoor and outdoor spaces, bars and beer pumps, fencing and gates, garden ornaments, shelving, worktops and cutlery and his greatest satisfaction comes from turning an idea into a reality for his many customers.

He said: “I love the freedom and creativity of the job and that is what drew me to it in the first place. Being able to make things with my hands is quite special in itself and I take great pleasure in turning somebody’s vision into something they will treasure forever.”

One of Tom’s greatest specialities is his creation of cutlery and in the past few years, his skill at forging culinary implements and kitchenware has grown.

As well as on his website, Tom sells his handmade forks, knives and spoons at local markets and at Community Cutlery in Ilkley and last year for the first time, he participated in the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair at Manchester, one of the largest and most prestigious shopping events for craft in the UK.

It provided the perfect opportunity to introduce his culinary productions to a wider audience and the popularity of such ornate implements, he believes, stems from the nation’s immense interest in cooking.

He said: “Everyone puts a lot of effort into cooking nice meals and making sure it is sustainable and organic and so it is nice to serve it with something that is handmade and sustainably made to last, something you can pass down the generations as well.”

Burnt Orchid specialises in a full range of metal works such as blacksmithing, copper smithing and welding and will undertake commissions, repairs and restoration projects.

For more information please visit burntorchid.co.uk To discuss commissions please call Tom on
07539 323242 or email tom.brom@hotmail.com