The Forge has its origins in the the late 1700’s and in 2011 we took a lease and converted the building to be a living museum. It opened its doors in 2012 and has been open for 10 years, this work was funded by HLF. During the 10 years we have been on a fantastic journey. The Forge has had to earn its living and our Blacksmiths and volunteers have delivered online local history, blacksmithing and involving the community through tasters, art events and training. However, we have identified a number of threats that we are trying to address by this investment.
1) The Forge currently burns anthracite in the hearth. Only one mine is left in the uk producing anthracite and its already saying its life is limited causing supply issues and increased cost. The alternate is to buy from Russia. This is compounded by potential climate change legislation which will potentially limit or ban the use of fossil fuels. We have conducted research and identified induction heating as a replacement, but this doesn’t sit well in a 1700s building.
2) Our success has also presented problems of combining a heritage attraction and a working Blacksmith workshop.
This page will hold all of the project details:
Application to remove Trees
Arts Council – Building Projects
Induction Heating Video
