BLACKSMITHS gathered at a foundry in West Devon on Saturday as they celebrated their patron saint.

St Clement's Day was marked at Sticklepath's Finch Foundry by the traditional 'firing of the anvil', where the tool is filled with gunpowder to demonstrate its strength.

The art of the smithy was also shown off, with blacksmiths from across the country producing chestnut roasters to be judged.

The traditional celebrations date back to around 100BC, but died out in the 1940s. Around 15 years ago, Finch Foundry revived the celebration.

Forge custodian Roger Boney said the event was growing in popularity: 'There seems to be a growing interest in traditional skills and crafts, and this is something the National Trust is really keen to spearhead. We want to show we're not just about big country houses and gardens.'

The crowd of 600 was entertained by the Cogs and Wheels Morris Dancers, which originated from volunteers at the forge.

The forge's 19th century technology was also on show, taking visitors back to the days when it produced 400 tools every day.