LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST WITH MIKE JONES, FROM THE STABLES TELLING US HOW ABOUT THE BRYN Y PYS GATES
We are very pleased with the new Bryn y Pys park gates on the Argoed Lane which were made by Mike Jones who owns Mike Jones Blacksmiths near Ellesmere.
The previous white wooden gates were made by Gordon Jones and the ones before that were made on the estate yard which was opposite St Mary’s Church in Overton.
One can only speculate that the original metal ones were given up for the war effort like so many.
Mike has explained that these gates have been made with modern labour saving techniques but designed using original patterns from Bryn y Pys Hall.
Mike was sent to Hereford on a scholarship from Shire Hall, Shrewsbury in 1966 for a 5 year apprenticeship learning wrought iron work, welding and farriery.
He now enjoys many heritage projects such as making gates for St Oswald’s Church in Oswestry, new railings for the cemetery in Ellesmere and he has been involved a lot with Erdigg and Chirk Castle for The National Trust.
He speaks highly of Philip Yorke at Erdigg who he says helped him, in his later years, to work the bellows saying, “they were much stiffer than they used to be!”
Mike and his team are involved in a great variety of projects: farm and equestrian buildings, such is their skill and expertise but it is the traditional projects that Mike enjoys most, as he was trained by the very best at college, a man called Bill Watts.
Mike’s description of the huge building now no longer there at Aylestone Hill, Hereford with 8 forges up each side is amazing and one can only imagine the atmosphere and heat generated when they were all lit, but it was from such training grounds that so much of our heritage stems from.
Some of Mike’s team have worked with him for more than 40 years, Hughie Jones(42 years), Andrew Mckenzie (40 years) , John Hampson ((7 yrs), Godfrey Walford (6.5years), Paul is the most recent, and Roy the digger driver (23 years) who was sadly lost this year and is greatly missed.
The business thrives on the skills of all these men who, Mike says, “tell me how to do it now”.
We are very grateful to have Mike and his team who are able to produce such impressive work which is a credit to him and will be admired for many years to come.