Underfall Yard Fire: Blacksmith devastated by loss of workshop

Joanna Williams' workshop was destroyed in the fire

A blacksmith says she is devastated by the loss of a decade worth of equipment, after a fire at a boat yard destroyed her workshop.

Joanna Williams, owner of Fire Iron Art, built up her business in Bristol's Underfall Yard over the last 10 years.

On Saturday, a blaze destroyed building's in the boat yard, badly damaging her workshop.

"The shock still hasn't sunk in," Ms Williams said, adding she has lost all of her machinery and equipment.

"It's my livelihood. It's what I've trained for and what I've practiced for years and years."

A 45-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson in connection with the incident.

Joanna had been preparing for shows at the Bristol Botanic Gardens and North Somerset Arts week

"On Sunday, I didn't get out of bed," she continued.

"[Each morning] I wake up and I think I'm going to go to work. And then all of a sudden I see an image of these charred remains."

The contents of Ms Williams' workshop are not covered by insurance.

Her friends have helped set up crowdfunding to replace machinery, tools and equipment that took over a decade to acquire.

Joanna has worked as a blacksmith for 14 years and has been at Underfall Yard for 10 years

"I still can't accept what has gone on. I've lost 10 years of being in that yard. I built up everything in that workshop. Things were just taking off and it's just all gone," she said.

"So many people would walk through the door and stick their head in because we're doing a traditional craft. How often do you get to see a blacksmith at work?"

Floating music venue Thekla have donated £5,000 to help rebuild Underfall Yard

Since the fire, the trust which runs Underfall Yard says it has been overwhelmed with donations.

On Tuesday, Bristol floating music venue Thekla announced on social media that they would donate £5,000 to help rebuild the yard.

Thekla's manager Alex Black said the donation was in aid of helping to protect the harbour's strong maritime history.

"We're a business that works in the harbour, so from one business to another, we wanted to show our support," he said.

"Although we're too big to use many of the Underfall Yard's services, we do rely heavily on the Albion Drydock."

Mr Black hopes that other businesses will follow suit, adding that the harbour would not be the way it is today without the businesses which have been there for hundreds of years.

"So much of the harbour now is being sold off to property developers and we're going to start losing those aspects," he said.

"If this one doesn't bounce back and recover, then that's going to be another area that's potentially lost to other developments."