Forge Cottage

Forge Cottage is a house, likely originating in the 17th century, with later extensions from the late 18th or early 19th century and 20th-century renovations. The walls are whitewashed rendered cob on stone rubble footings, and the roof is thatched with a plain ridge, hipped at the ends, and half-hipped at the ends of the wings. There are lateral and axial stacks. The original layout is uncertain, but it appears to have started as an L-shaped block in the centre, originally divided into two cottages, with two short wings at the left end and a single-story tiled outshut at the right end. Each of the former cottages has one stack, and the short wings seem to be converted outbuildings. The front has an irregular asymmetrical appearance with four windows. A thatched porch sits on posts in front of the front door, which is located at the extreme right – this is said not to be the original entrance. A blocked doorway is visible to the front of the wing to the left of the centre, with an eyebrowed thatch over one first-floor window to the right. A variety of timber casement windows with glazing bars are present. The rear elevation has two windows facing the road. Inside, the cottage has been modernized, with a remaining old fireplace containing a bread oven; the lateral stack is blocked. Purlins of large scantling survive within the main block, and the two short wings at the left end contain late 18th or 19th-century pegged A-frame trusses. Access to the roof apex was unavailable during a survey in 1987. Forge Cottage occupies a corner site in Lower Ashton and makes a significant contribution to the character of the village; it is part of a group including Spara Bridge, the Post Office, and Blatchford Farmhouse.