A Level 2 Historic Building Recording was carried out on The Old Forge, which fronts Main Street, and an adjacent outbuilding. Photographic recording of the external elevations of nos. 26 and 28 Main Street (Forge Cottage and The Smithy) was also carried out. For the watching brief, the excavation of four test pits was observed in July 2021; two to the rear of the property and two through internal flooring of the shoeing room and forge room. Two further test pits were recorded in November 2022, one in the stable of the outbuilding and another in The Old Forge. Ground reduction for the garage and the single storey link extension trenches were observed in November 2022. This work was carried out in accordance with the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists Standard and Guidance for an archaeological watching brief (CIfA 2020), Standard and guidance for the archaeological investigation and recording of standing buildings or structures (CIfA 2019) and Understanding Historic Buildings: a Guide to Good Recording Practice (Historic England 2016). The Old Forge, The Smithy and Forge Cottage were constructed prior to 1813 and the outbuilding added sometime between 1813 and 1884, with its NNW wall being a possible boundary wall used as a convenient foundation. The Old Forge is constructed from a mixture of stone and brick walling, with the stone walls fronting that of Main Street and in-keeping with the façade of Forge Cottage and The Smithy. It was likely originally an entirely stone building, with the east end rebuilt in brick between 1884 and 1969. The Old Forge tie beams appear original. The outbuilding is entirely brick built with an episode of rebuilding evident on its east-north-east elevation that could be related to the blocking up of an opening at the back of the garage. The Old Forge retains evidence for its use in the manufacture of horseshoes and possibly branding irons. The northernmost part of the outbuilding had original features typical of a horse stable, while the storerooms may have been domestic, as indicated by the copper boiler. The watching brief established that no historic floors underlie the present ones. An external cobbled surface was recorded along with a levelling layer, an undated pit and two ditches, one of which contained 18th century pottery. The ditches, perhaps boundary features, may pre-date the buildings on the site.
Bradbury et al. (Sun,) studied this question.