Siddington Smithy was initially founded in the late 1700s and was situated on land owned by the Capesthorne Hall Estate. The property consists of a blacksmith’s forge, a cottage, yard and garden.

Originally operated as a forge/smallholding, the property included an orchard and numerous outbuildings. Like most blacksmiths of its time much of the original work involved shoeing horses and supply or repair of agricultural equipment.

The business was operated by various smiths over the next 200 years and was often passed from father to son, research shows some of these were real characters, and much folklore exists regarding their exploits.

However sometime after the war, business declined and although still carrying out blacksmith work this was increasingly subsidised by other activities. These included the introduction of petrol pumps, followed by fencing and concrete posts; and more recently by the sale of reclaimed building products.

By the late 1990s the blacksmithing side was dying out and the premises were more reminiscent of a scrapheap. This gradual decline was almost inevitable as mass production had led to a decline in the needs of blacksmiths skills, this combined with the development of rural properties has made the traditional smithy a rare feature.

In Cheshire, blacksmiths’ premises would have been sited every couple of miles and if you know what to look for these can still be identified today (the names ‘Smithy Cottage’ or ‘The Old Smithy’ do offer some clues).

Fortunately, this particular smithy was owned by Capesthorne Hall Estate and as such avoided the developers and becoming a private residence.

The current incarnation of Siddington Smithy Ltd was established by the late Peter Robinson in 2000, and continues to operate as a modern blacksmith business.