General view of Blacksmiths (centre) and adjoining cottage (left), from south east. The lean to on the right is a post-1945 addition. Tyre plate in foreground on which metal cart wheel tyres were fitt ...

Description General view of Blacksmiths (centre) and adjoining cottage (left), from south east. The lean to on the right is a post-1945 addition. Tyre plate in foreground on which metal cart wheel tyres were fitted to wooden cartwheels.

Date 5/7/2018

Collection Historic Environment Scotland

Catalogue Number DP 280582

Category On-line Digital Images

Scope and Content Blacksmithing, or the rendering of metal malleable by heating in a forge or hearth to high temperature enabling it to be fashioned into objects, is an ancient craft. The smithy/ smiddy/ smidy or blacksmith's shop was once a common building type but became less so during the 20th century. The rise of factory production and the uptake of the internal combustion engine (especially the introduction of the tractor) meant that this craft was less in demand for the production and sharpening of agricultural implements, making or replacing cartwheel tyres or for farrier work. This is an example of a traditional blacksmith's shop with its open hearth, anvils, bellows, work benches, metal storage racks and smithing tools for working mostly ferrous metals. All of the hearth processes were manual. This smithy is on the former main road, hence its location. This road has been byepassed by Hadfast Road.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/1761977

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap