The Forge

The Forge is probably a 17th-century house, but it was largely remodelled in the 19th century, and includes an attached blacksmith’s workshop. It is constructed of rendered stone and cob, with a slate roof and end and axial stacks. The house comprises three rooms arranged in a line, forming two units of accommodation with internal access between them. The left side contains a single-cell unit with a front entrance and stairs in the upper right-hand corner of the room. The right side provides direct entry to the main living room, which is heated by an axial stack, with a small kitchen/dairy at the right end and a staircase to the rear. A rear outshut extends along the rear, and a blacksmith’s workshop is attached to the right gable end. The building is two storeys high with a three-window range. There are 19th-century, two-light casement windows with six panes per light, and two infilled window openings on the left side. Two porches with slate roofs and 20th-century doors are located on the ground floor. The left-hand porch includes a two-light casement window with two panes per light to the left and a single two-paned light window to the right. The right-hand porch has a two-light window with two panes per light to the left and a four-paned single light window to the right. A continuous outshut extends along the rear, with a roof of part corrugated iron and part slate. The blacksmith’s workshop at the right end has a tiled roof. A section of a pointed arched canopy survives above the forge. The house’s interior retains remarkably unspoiled late 19th-century/early 20th-century joinery and fittings, including a cast iron range made by T Lee of Horwood, who was the grandfather of the current occupier. The roof structure was replaced in the 20th century.