March 2024 by Dave Webster
I had a half day experience with Richard and wow it was an experience!!! Very helpful and informative vibe, leaving me with a desire to learn more and develop skills I never knew I had. Left with two pieces of my own work that I am very proud of.
January 2024 by Tim Seth
A day with Richard is a 5 star experience, his patience and trust in sharing his workshop and forge is refreshing and a privilege. Ended up making a unique piece for my outdoor cooking range and earned way more that i expected
January 2024 by Phil Hood
Absolutely brilliant day, great teacher and very relaxed atmosphere. No rush to complete your project and always at hand to guide and not make you feel bad. I would highly recommend this and was a great gift.Some experience holding a hammer would be an advantage but it is heat fun even just using the forgeRich has a lot of knowledge and not just in metal working
December 2023 by Jim Hagan
What a great day spent at the Much Hadham forge. This was a gift from my family and I had no prior blacksmithing experience but under Richard?s careful, patient guidance I was able to produce quite an attractive poker and stand. The day was great fun and pretty full-on, heating, bending, beating and shaping the metal according to the design. Its quite remarkable to be able to do this in a forge where blacksmiths have worked their trade for about 400 years. Get along to it- you won?t regret it.
December 2023 by Sarah R
Amazing day at the Forge. Great experience, would recommend!We came away with creations that we were quite proud of! Richard was a superb teacher.Good idea for a gift, but would recommend you go yourself too!
December 2023 by r c
We visited the forge for a days blacksmithing course. The experience was amazing and we both came away from a great day and with finished pieces. Rich was very patient and friendly and taught us a lot. I would really recommend the experience as a present for someone or for yourself if you have a project in mind.Rich also showed us the museum and had lots of interesting information about the village and the history of blacksmithing. The forge is historic and a pleasure just to work in.Thank so much Rich!
November 2023 by Dan ?The Raizer? Robam
We were given this experience as a gift. Although having no knowledge of blacksmithing Richard was a great teacher. He took time to explain what was required and made us feel welcome. I was able to make something useful for the house and left feeling good about my day.It's not every day you get to heat up chunks of metal and manipulate them into something useful.I'd highly recommend the experience to anyone!
November 2023 by Matt C
A great experience. Be prepared to get your hands filthy :-)
November 2023 by Skye 2000
This was a present for my teenage son with his dad and they had a thoroughly enjoyable time, bringing home some goodies with them that they had made. Rich was friendly and knowledgeable and it was a great half day all in all. Highly recommended.
November 2023 by Jim Watson
We had a great day. Rich is a patient and helpful teacher. We were amazed at what we were able to complete in the day and came away with a lovely memory of the day. Very highly recommended.
November 2023 by Andy Smith
The Much Hadham Forge Experience Day was excellent. I had a great time. The instruction, support and encouragement was spot-on. It was really satisfying to feel so much achievement out of just one day
October 2023 by Susan Jones
Fantastic day with Rich Maynard at Much Hadham Forge. With no experience but Rich's careful tuition through the day we made a whole set of matching fire irons (poker, brush, rake, log lifter and toasting fork).Rich is a great teacher - very knowledgable and great at pacing information and encouragement for novices. Such a great setting too - an Elizabethan forge set up as a working museum - surrounded by exhibits in the next rooms.It was a very full day, but a great balance of the heavy hammering mixed with delicate twisting and forming decorative details. Would give it wholehearted recommendation for something very different to do for a day, and a great way to co-operate on making things together.
October 2023 by ryan mcardle
Had a great day today learning from Richard.Would highly recommend for a gift or if you just have a interest in blacksmithing.
July 2023 by Graeme Boxall
Had a great day at the Much Hadham forge. Richard is a very chilled and patient teacher. I learned a lot and came away with a beautiful piece of decorative iron work and a very nice pair of flat jaw tongs for use in my Blacksmithing adventures at home. Richard was very cool and managed the day perfectly intervening to speed up tasks my acting as a striker, and even welded me a bending fork as he realised I wouldn?t have time to start another piece. If your interested in giving Blacksmithing a try this is the place to do it! 10/10
June 2023 by Greg Delaney
A fantastic, immersive, blacksmithing experience in an original old forge. Rich is a great teacher, helping us achieve wonderful results. Would highly recommend
