Most passers-by probably overlook this small ivy-clad building situated by the village's crossroads, and so had I, until a local resident told me what purpose it had once served. This used to be a blacksmith's shop. The first picture shows the view out of one of its broken windows.
The oldest reference that I managed to find comes from a list of several estates in the area "to be Sold by Auction, if not disposed of before, on January 15, 1783, between the Hours of Twelve and Two, at the King's Head, in the Market-place, Norwich". Not quite a hundred years later, William White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk in 1845 mentions two blacksmiths having worked here. The references about two blacksmiths having worked at this forge remain constant until 1884 although, obviously, over time the names change. The last bit of information pertains to the licence holder of the Hare and Hounds public house (closed in around 1935) in 1891 and 1892, who was also the village's blacksmith.
And then the references stop. I am guessing that the shop probably closed in the 1950s and it has since, more or less, remained in a time capsule. Tools, a crucible and other paraphernalia can be seen on top of the furnace, where they were presumably left after the last fire had gone out.
The stone, iron-bound water trough, used for cooling the forged iron after having been taken out of the furnace, glowing red hot, is still in place at the furnace's front end.
The anvil, however, has been removed. It would have sat on the block of wood seen here.
But the bellows are still attached to the beams that held them in place at the back of the furnace, including the chain that was used for operating them.
I am not sure what purpose the contraption affixed to one of the roof beams once served. Could it have been a hoist?
There is the usual clutter one would expect to see in a workshop, broken boxes containing unidentifiable (to me) bits and pieces, a great number of which can also be seen strewn about on the floor.
And this beautifully made sturdy old wooden wheelbarrow.
The oldest reference that I managed to find comes from a list of several estates in the area "to be Sold by Auction, if not disposed of before, on January 15, 1783, between the Hours of Twelve and Two, at the King's Head, in the Market-place, Norwich". Not quite a hundred years later, William White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk in 1845 mentions two blacksmiths having worked here. The references about two blacksmiths having worked at this forge remain constant until 1884 although, obviously, over time the names change. The last bit of information pertains to the licence holder of the Hare and Hounds public house (closed in around 1935) in 1891 and 1892, who was also the village's blacksmith.
And then the references stop. I am guessing that the shop probably closed in the 1950s and it has since, more or less, remained in a time capsule. Tools, a crucible and other paraphernalia can be seen on top of the furnace, where they were presumably left after the last fire had gone out.
The stone, iron-bound water trough, used for cooling the forged iron after having been taken out of the furnace, glowing red hot, is still in place at the furnace's front end.
The anvil, however, has been removed. It would have sat on the block of wood seen here.
But the bellows are still attached to the beams that held them in place at the back of the furnace, including the chain that was used for operating them.
I am not sure what purpose the contraption affixed to one of the roof beams once served. Could it have been a hoist?
There is the usual clutter one would expect to see in a workshop, broken boxes containing unidentifiable (to me) bits and pieces, a great number of which can also be seen strewn about on the floor.
And this beautifully made sturdy old wooden wheelbarrow.
