Customer Services

Who we are and what we do

Read our business story and meet the team

A bit about us !

Our History

Nigel Tyas Ironwork is an independent company committed to keeping traditional metalworking skills alive in the UK. Based in beautiful countryside a few miles north of Sheffield, our rural business was founded in 2000 by husband and wife team Nigel Tyas and Elizabeth Stocker. In 2020, Nigel and Elizabeth retired and local brothers Daniel and Gareth Lowe took the helm with the aim of continuing to develop the business into the 21st century whilst maintaining the blacksmith made quality that exists within all our products.

Nigel began his training at the age of sixteen as an apprentice blacksmith with the National Coal Board in Elsecar near Barnsley. In the early 1970’s the Coal Board still used steam trains and pit ponies! After a varied career in large-scale industrial blacksmithing and engineering, Nigel set up the business to concentrate on the artistic aspects of his craft creating beautiful and functional ironwork for your home.

Elizabeth was responsible for our e-commerce website, marketing and business development. She has also been the driving force behind our friendly customer service team, based in the showroom next-door to our workshop.

Dan first met Nigel when he was a young apprentice farrier and used to come into the forge to help out on Saturdays. He has, since then, shod horses around the world before returning to his roots here in Yorkshire. Gareth comes to us with a long career in business management and product development behind him.

Over the last 20 years Nigel Tyas Ironwork have produced a vast array of hand forged steel items for customers across the world. Starting as a small manufacturer, the business has evolved but tried to remain true to its grass roots. The business model focused on residential customers and delivering direct to the customer rather than wholesaling to stores or distributors. By carefully crafting each item it’s allowed the #happyblacksmith to develop a great reputation for quality and bespoke items. The primary focus has always been on interior lighting and homeware and our current range is a broad spectrum of products in these areas. Our pendant lighting, chandeliers and lamps are timeless and ever popular whilst we also create some of the best handmade metal curtain poles you can buy, made to measure and noted for the strength and durability whilst retaining a classic and elegant look for any window.

Our work has travelled to Japan, Australia, America and all over Europe to be displayed in a variety of homestyles. The UK market is our mainstay however and we’ve been fortunate to work on many other projects as well as commercial developments and local sculptures, restorations of stately homes and even the odd castle as our blog, case study page and customer gallery shows.

How we work . .. the forge today

All of our wrought ironwork is designed here and hand-forged by a dedicated team of contemporary blacksmiths. Everything is carefully made to measure and we forge, finish, wire and wrap every order on site enabling us to control the whole process.

Your orders and enquiries are handled by our onsite customer service team who always have time to discuss your queries and arrange for delivery of your finished products. The customer service team work closely with the blacksmiths and are always popping backwards and forwards between office, workshop and showroom. That’s the beauty of a small business!

We use traditional metal working skills and work with the best UK based suppliers to ensure the highest quality goods. The UK still has a great pedigree for manufacturing and whilst smaller than it’s 20th century heyday, we are proud to support other UK manufacturers by specifying British made electrical fittings and cable, glass, fabric and ceramic lampshades, wax and paint coatings and even packing boxes and tape for our goods.

Meet the Team

Dan Headshot new

Dan . . .

Job: Technical Director

A forge fact: He’s also a farrier. He's shod horses for the Brunei royal family and the Singapore Polo team.

Dan’s top tip: "Buy the best quality you can afford – look for British made products if you can."

Favourite Nigel Tyas product: The Whitby lamp.

Gareth Headshot

Gareth . . .

Job: Managing Director

A forge fact: Outside work, Gareth is a volunteer with the Woodhead Mountain Rescue team

Favourite Product: The Hordron Pendant light.

Andrew in the workshop

Andrew . . .

Job: Workshop manager and blacksmith

A forge fact: Andrew can often be heard playing Spanish guitar in his lunch break. Andrew was the first employee of Nigel Tyas Ironwork and has been with the business since 2003.

Favourite Nigel Tyas Product: Mitre table lamp.

Simon in the workshop

Simon . . .

Job: Blacksmith

A forge fact: Stalwart of the Friday fish and chip run, Simon is really creative; always experimenting and thinking of new ideas for products.

Favourite Nigel Tyas product: The Bretton pendant.

David in the workshop

David . . .

Job: Finisher

A forge fact: He’s Nigel Tyas Ironwork’s champion whistler – no tune is beyond him!

David’s top tip: "Keep your ironwork in top condition with an occasional rub over with a good wax polish."

Favourite Nigel Tyas Product: Shepherd’s Crook chandelier.

Sam in the workshop

Roger . . .

Job: Wiring

A forge fact: Roger has a garage full of classic motorbikes

Another forge fact: He also leads guided local history walks in the Peak District as a volunteer park ranger

Roger’s top tip: "Invest in quality LED bulbs to complement our handmade lighting."

Favourite Nigel Tyas product: Broadstones light - 'I enjoy wiring this one up'

Lynne in the workshop

Lynne . . .

Job: Packaging

A forge fact: Lynne is super fit and cycles to work every day

Lynne’s top tip: “If you can possibly recycle or re-use our card and bubble-wrap packaging, that would be great.”

Favourite Nigel Tyas Product: Ramshead companion set.

Sam in the workshop

Sam . . .

Job: Customer service

A forge fact: Powered by black tea and biscuits

Another forge fact: Sam loves ironwork puns such as ‘we’ll forge ahead with that’ and ‘hammer out the details’

Favourite Nigel Tyas product: Hand-forged mirror.

Jane

Jane . . .

Job: Customer service

A forge fact: Jane loves to travel and has visited most corners of the globe

Favourite Nigel Tyas product: The Howbrook table lamp.

Our Ethics and Principles

As a business we believe that our work should be produced as ethically and sustainably as possible and we work hard to ensure that all of our ironwork is produced and priced fairly and honestly.

We use the best quality materials and components in our work and source most of our supplies locally. It is important to us to support local manufacturing businesses, especially in view of Sheffield’s metalworking heritage. We are proud to have been awarded the ‘Made in Sheffield’ mark.

It is also very important to us as a business to keep traditional skills alive in the UK and we make all of our ironwork in our own workshop in Yorkshire using skilled craftspeople. Read more about our commitment to British made craftsmanship.

We are sometimes asked about discounting our work. When we created the business it was always an important consideration that we should treat all of our customers fairly and also pay fair wages to our employees. We prefer to cost our work with integrity and for this reason we do not discount our work. We choose to manufacture in the UK and therefore don't have comparable margins on our work as companies who outsource their manufacturing overseas. The response that we get from our customers confirms that our handmade ironwork represents good value for money ... read more on our testimonials page.

If you are a business customer and wish to discuss bespoke items, white label products or a large order please contact Gareth directly. gareth@nigeltyas.co.uk