KV ArtistBlacksmith

Katie Ventress forges sculptural metalwork, gates, fireside tools and garden furniture from her workshop at Hinderwell Industrial Estate, near Staithes. She trained formally in blacksmithing and art and design before setting up on her own, and has since appeared on BBC's Countryfile and the Made in Great Britain series. During the Staithes Festival of Arts and Heritage she opens the forge to visitors on set dates, and for one festival she hand-forged a pair of stingrays as a centrepiece for the village. Commissions range from small ornamental pieces to public sculpture, all hammered and fabricated by hand; she does not take on AI-generated designs, insisting on work drawn and built the traditional way.