The Old Forge

The Old Forge is an inn located on the east side of the A38 in Whitminster. It is possibly partly from the 15th century on the left side and was enlarged to the right and front in the early 17th century. The building is mostly timber-framed, featuring panels of varying sizes and painted brick infill. The front wing is faced with brick and has a gable end that is mostly rendered. It has a double Roman tile roof with stone coped verges and kneelers.

The front wing includes a large stone lateral stack on the left, with a flue raised in brick. The later wing at the rear and right side is roughcast faced. Originally, the building was likely a small single range with an L-shaped addition made in two stages, set back slightly beyond the rear wall line and featuring a rear hip. It is mostly two storeys high.

The fenestration is scattered, mostly from the 20th century, but there is one early 4-light wood mullion and transom window in a small gable on the left of the front wing, along with a blocked 3-light diamond mullion and plain transom window on the far right. The front gable has 20th-century windows with a two-brick string and a small oval apex light.

On the left side, there is a porch in the corner with a raking roof that continues from the line of the gable wing. The porch features timber framing that includes a representation of two swans in the gable, and it has a plank inner door. The building was known as The Swan Inn until 1779 and is said to have a sundial dated 1604.

Inside, there are chamfered beams and joists with a compartmented ceiling in the front range. Additionally, there is a very large timber bressumer above the north end fireplace, which has no stack.