Sparks flying at Acton Scott iron-working festival

Sparks are flying in south Shropshire as dozens of metalwork experts arrive at Acton Scott Working Farm.

Archaeologists and metallurgists from across Europe are gathering at the tourist attraction near Church Stretton for the International Iron Working Festival.

The event, which runs until Sunday, will reconstruct iron smelting and blacksmithing techniques dating back to prehistoric times.

Each year the event has grown and 20 groups from countries across Europe are attending.

The event also attracts universities, living history museums and specialist metal working companies who come together to share their expertise.

They will build their own furnaces in which they will heat iron ore to 1,300 degrees centigrade.

The bricks which are used to make some of the furnaces are fired at the farm and 12 tonnes of wood have been turned into 1.2 tonnes of charcoal, ready to generate the intense heat needed to extract the metal from the iron ore.

Over the weekend blacksmiths will begin to work that iron into tools and weapons.

Colin Richards, Shropshire Council historical environment manager, said having so many different experts in one place leads to a 'melting pot' of ideas.

He said: "The byproduct of this intense work and collaboration is a spectacular display of the early processes of iron making.

"Bloomery furnaces are constructed from reinforced clay. Layers of iron ore and charcoal are superheated to 1,300C. A 'bloom' of red-hot iron is produced and rem-oved from the furnace to be worked on an anvil producing workable iron that can be forged into tools or weapons.

"There are many variables in this process and the skills of the individual teams gives rise to distinctive national and local approaches to the task."

The museum will be open to the public during the event. Call (01694) 781307 for details.

By Peter Finch