The blacksmith who safeguards the crown jewels and decorates royal palaces

Paul Dennis, the 77-year-old blacksmith from Wales, once joked in his cowshed to his wife, "One day, I'll work for the Queen," surrounded by the familiar scent of livestock and farm life. Decades later, that dream has become a reality, even as he continues to work in the Welsh hills that shaped him.

His craftsmanship has left its mark on some of the UKs most iconic sites, including Windsor Castle, Westminster Abbey, and the metalwork securing the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London. Locally, the gates he meticulously restored at Newports Tredegar House, immortalized in the BBCs Antiques Roadshow, launched him onto the path of royal commissions.

Deep in the secluded valleys of the Brecon Beacons, on farmland with protected ecological sites, Paul hones his art amid the heat and clang of metal. His forge is only miles from the cowshed where he first made that ambitious promise.

Now celebrating 50 years in business, Paul is undertaking two major projects: restoring sections of Smithfield Market in preparation for its conversion into the London Museum headquarters in 2026, and crafting new gates for Albany Mansions in Piccadilly, a residence with a rich history of prime ministers, writers, and celebrities.

Metalworking runs deep in Pauls lineage. His father was a farrier, his grandfather produced wire machinery, and generations of ancestors worked with nails. Growing up on a remote Welsh farm without electricity instilled resourcefulness. By age 12, he was restoring cars and helping local businesses, and at 16 he began working with his father, quickly realizing he needed a different path.

His career-defining opportunity came at 17, restoring gates for Dyffryn Gardens, now a National Trust property. This early project ignited a passion that would define his life.

In the 1980s, Paul spent two years restoring the Edney gates at Tredegar House, replicating the original blacksmiths style with painstaking attention. This work caught the attention of Kensington Palace, leading to his first royal commission creating gates and railings. He creatively incorporated flowers representing England, Wales, and Ireland, while navigating the royal couples preferences for symbolic accuracy.

This commission was soon followed by a prestigious partnership with the Royal Household and Historic Royal Palaces, including the daunting responsibility of crafting protective metalwork for the Crown Jewels. After the Windsor Castle fire in 1992, he contributed to the reconstruction, producing extensive metalwork used throughout the castle.

Pauls career spans the globe, from Middle Eastern palaces to Microsofts headquarters in Seattle, yet he has faced intense challenges, including threats during high-stakes projects. At one point, he scaled down his operations to focus on the hands-on artistry he loves, leaving the business in the capable hands of his son and family.

Even after five decades, Pauls enthusiasm for blacksmithing remains undiminished. At 77, he continues to forge metal with the same passion he had in the 1960s, proving that true dedication knows no age.

Author: Caleb Jennings