ABOUT URBAN IRON

My name is Peter Coughlan and I have been fabricating in mild steel for the past 25 years, both here in the UK and in Australia. In that time I have built up a vast archive of work, this website is a cross section of what I have been making and where the path has lead.

In Perth, Australia I formed a company called “Fear and Loathing” (click here for an article on the company), which manufactured beds and general furnishings. In this period I developed an interest in social enterprise schemes and for my part employed some workers directly from the criminal justice system. This is something I am trying to establish with disaffected youth at Urban Iron. After ten years in Perth I sold the business and moved to the UK where I found myself as a blacksmith on Eel Pie Island in Twickenham. I was there for nine years and this gave me the opportunity to learn about another aspect of fabrication, working hot iron and in a unique Island setting too!

For the past 2 years, I am back on the mainland in Teddington and working towards building up a small but creative company, which will cater for small to medium size projects from domestic commissions to medium size commercial projects. With the benefits of this experience I can provide a smooth process through design to installation.