Former smithy, St Nicholas
Forge Cottage was built in the 1930s as a replacement smithy. The previous one, beside Blacksmith House, was demolished for a road improvement scheme.
The smithy closed in 2001, when Richard Harry retired. He was the fourth generation of the family to work as the village blacksmith.
His great-grandfather Abraham was indentured on 1 September 1864 to master blacksmith David Hopkin, who was born in Swansea in 1805 and was a smith in St Nicholas by 1841. In 1871 David was living at Smith Shop Cottage. He was noted for his ploughs. These included his own type of swing plough which could operate in either direction, reducing labour when the ploughman got to the end of each run. He died in 1874.
Abraham took over the smithy, followed by his son, also called Abraham. At this time there was an adjoining wheelwright’s shop. Each new wooden wheel needed an iron tyre, which would be made to precise measurements by the blacksmith and then heated up so that it would slide into place around the wheel rim. The iron shrank as it cooled, ensuring a tight fit and reinforcing the wheel.
Abraham junior was followed by his son Cyril, known as Jack. It was during his time that the Duffryn estate relocated the smithy. Shoeing horses was the main trade for Cyril and his son Richard, as it was in their ancestors’ time. Farm implements were also brought to the smithy for repairs. In the 1940s, Cyril was involved in constructing the village’s mains water system, as you can read on our page about the water pump by the churchyard.
With thanks to Richard Harry
Postcode: CF5 6SQ