Written Description from 1936
In 1936, a local schoolgirl wrote a description of what she found in Larkin's forge. As you read it, imagine you are the schoolgirl looking around the building:
"The door of the forge is shaped like a horse-shoe. When you go into it the fire is on the right hand side and it is on a round cement block.
The bellows is on the left hand side of the fire. The blacksmith has an anvil to place the iron and he can make it into whatever shape he wants to. He has a sledgehammer to hammer the red iron. He has his water trough up beside the fire to put the iron in to cool.
When he hammers the red iron the sparks fly round him and if any of them fly out of the door it is the sign of money.
There is a large skylight in the forge. The floor is cemented and up beside the fireplace there is yellow clay. The roof is made of white canvas and painted with tar."