Forge And Attached Office Immediately East Of No.166 (Not Included)

This is an early to mid-18th century blacksmith's forge with an attached office, located in Newmarket. The building is a single storey and is set with its gable end facing the High Street. It is constructed primarily of gault brick to the front elevation – facing number 166 – with the remainder of the structure being painted or rendered red brick. The roof is slate covered.

The front of the building features a range of nine large, horizontal sliding sash windows, each with three panes over six. A matching fixed sash window is also present at the High Street end. Much of the original glass remains in these windows, including some bull’s-eye panes. An off-centre doorway is positioned adjacent to a wide, half-glazed entrance door in two leaves. The front corner of the gable end is cut away for approximately 1.5 metres. The gable end itself has a single window with modern glazing above a stucco plinth. A tall, slightly tapering gault brick chimney stack is located on the rear slope of the roof. The attached office, on the left-hand end, has a door and small-paned casement windows, all set within segmental arches, and is connected internally to the forge.

The interior retains much of its original character, with four freestanding hearths set against the rear wall. These hearths are separated by arched recesses, and the superstructure above accommodates the flues that lead to the chimney stack. A small section of the workshop at the north end has been divided off with a boarded partition to create office space.

The building is a notable example of an intact 18th century forge, its size reflecting the significance of blacksmiths within Newmarket’s equestrian industry.