New York, Smithy

A smithy which is shown on 2nd edition OS. It was part of the coaching inn called The Traveller's Rest, which no longer exists. The smithy was still in use in 1991, shoeing horses. The smithy is brick-built made of hand made bricks. The entrance is via double doors. The top half of the stable door is original. The sash windows are bricked up and are missing most of the glazing bars. The chimney stack at the west end is a modern replacement, that at the east end is original. On the forecourt outside the smithy is a large stone tyre fitting ring let into the ground, used for fitting the red-hot tyres onto the wwoden rims of the cart and waggon wheels. Inside, the lamp brackets for the former gas lighting are still present. The original floor was constructed of hand-made bricks set on edge into sand. The centre of the floor is now paved. The roof is of slate. There are two hearths, both of brick, with canopies and chimneys over them. That at the east end is larger, designed for large metalwork such as wheel hooping plates. The western one is smaller, used for horse shoes, door hinges, latches and tools. The smithy still has hand-operated bellows although they are no longer used. Lewis Dunn was the first recorded blacksmith here, in 1834. He was also the innkeeper at the adjoining Traveller's Rest Inn.When the inn was demolished in the late C19, a dwelling house called Woodbine House was built in its place. This too was later demolished, leaving the smithy standing alone. Was considered for listing and turned down in 2016. Archaeologically recorded in 2018.