Claverdon Forge is yet another British smithy with a horseshoe shaped door, although this one is the most rustic and broad-toed one I've seen. It's wooden rather than stonework, but it's still there. This type of construction is called "half timber". And it looks cozy in there!
Apparently, the building is still there--it's in Warwickshire, England, not far from Coventry and Stratford-upon-Avon--but no longer used for shoeing horses. Appropriately enough, it's a stove and chimney shop, called "Sparkes Ltd.". More photos, including what the timbers look like from the inside, are on the Sparkes website.
The smithy is a "listed" historic building in England; the official record dates it to the late 17th century. And that's old!
Apparently this forge is of some fame; it was the inspiration for a collectible by Lilliput Lane called "The Little Smithy".
I keep searching for photos of these old smithies with horseshoe-shaped entries and I keep finding them, but have yet to find one that is still operating as a smithy. They are tea rooms, condos, bed-and-breakfasts, yarn shops, gas stations, a post office--you name it. But none I have found so far are being used for their original intent.
Maybe in Ireland....
Maybe in Ireland....
Thanks to BellBowe51 on Flickr.com for documenting Claverdon Forge for us.
