On Saturday 6th May 2023 a huge fire ripped through the Underfall Yard on Bristol harbour destroying a number of buildings and businesses including Joanna Williams blacksmiths workshop - Fire Iron Art.

Thankfully and most importantly no one was killed or injured .  A man has been charged with arson.

Joanna is absolutely devastated by what has happened and has been advised by numerous sources that nothing will be recoverable. As the workshop is too unsafe to enter she is still unable to see up-close the total destruction inside, so remains in shock.  

“It is too unimaginable to comprehend and I remain in disbelief at the fact I have just lost everything in one night".

Joanna would have been celebrating her 10th anniversary at the Underfall yard later this year. She set up the forge with her life savings in order to follow her dream as a blacksmith, but now it is all gone.

Sadly the insurance did not cover the contents of the workshop which makes her loss even more tragic and why we are appealing for donations. Specialist machinery, equipment and hand tools that took her over a decade to acquire and make were destroyed along with sculptures, sketch books and so much more. Many items being irreplaceable.

Money raised will support and enable Joanna to recover from this enormous loss and get creating again, until then she is unable to carry on working and has lost her livelihood.

During Joanna’s 14-year career as a professional blacksmith she has worked hard to build her business single-handedly, investing everything in it.

My forge wasn’t just my workshop, it was my artist studio, my home from home, it enabled me to be independent and was the culmination of over 20 years of hard work, it was everything.

Over the years, she has welcomed countless visitors passing through the Underfall yard into her forge who wanted to take a look at a traditional craft in action. She has opened her doors and demonstrated for various events and has passed on her knowledge and skills to numerous students.

With your donations, we can help her rise like a phoenix. Thank you

Meet the Maker