BLACKSMITH REPAIRS SWORDS FOR HOUSE OF THE DRAGON FILMED IN WALES

Aaron Houghton, a blacksmith from Betws-y-Coed in Conwy county, worked as an armourer on the set of House of the Dragon series two and three, which were filmed in north Wales. He repaired swords and painted background weapons to ensure actors appeared authentic during fighting scenes. The HBO series, based on George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels, stars Matt Smith, Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke. Houghton described the experience as surreal, noting that film sets operate like moving villages with up to 500 people working on a single project.

House of the Dragon received funding from Creative Wales to attract major film and television productions to the region. The series is set approximately 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones and depicts a civil war and power struggle. Houghton applied for one of six shadowing positions and secured full-time work in the armoury team. His initial paid placement lasted two months from mid-May to July in 2023, after which he was recalled for series three in 2025. Filming locations included the Trefor granite quarry on the Llyn peninsula, the Dinorwig slate quarry near Llanberis in Eryri, and Beaumaris. Series three, released in June, features James Norton and Rhys Ifans.

Houghton now combines work on film and television productions with teaching blacksmithing skills to members of the public. He is currently employed as an armourer on Excalibur, a fantasy feature film produced in Wales. His dual role reflects a growing model in which specialist craftspeople support major productions whilst maintaining traditional skills training in their communities.