Day 86. The Smithy

                  Preston smithy.

From the Iron Age to the Industrial Revolution, a period of over 2000 years, all ironwork was crafted in small forges by skilled blacksmiths. These men made gates, tools, horse shoes, iron tyres and a hundred other things besides.

The first known record of a forge in Preston is during the 1580s. This wasn't the present forge, which dates only to the 17^th century, but may refer to an earlier forge on the same site.

Like most trades, the skills were learnt through years of patient experience, and boys started in their father's forge as soon as they were able to perform the simplest tasks. When they reached manhood, they were hopefully skilled enough to take on a forge of their own.

The Elvins family were the blacksmiths in Preston in the 18^th century. In the early 19^th century, blacksmith Henry Bryan took over the forge when he married Alice Gardiner, the widow of Preston's previous blacksmith. He remained for his life and his son James later took over.

James left the village in the 1870s, and James Winter from Loxley moved to the forge. He and his son Thomas James (Jimmy) both worked the forge for their lives.

Blacksmith Jimmy Winter outside Preston forge, early 20^th century.

The Industrial Revolution changed the future for the village blacksmiths. Factories could make iron goods far quicker and cheaper than the rural smith in his forge. These wares flooded into the countryside and the blacksmith's trade was decimated. After Jimmy Winter's death in 1937, the forge was run by William Gilks, a smith from Quinton who toured several local villages. There was no longer enough work for a smith in each village. The majority of the work now comprised shoeing the heavy horses which were still abundant on farms.

And then even that work faded into obscurity. The relentless drive into the modern era brought cars, autobuses and tractors to the countryside. The Second World War forced farmers to abandon their horses for modern machinery, and more forges closed their doors. In 1948, Preston's forge closed for good.