Old Smithy and Heritage Centre
Volunteer-run village museum in a Victorian blacksmith’s forge at Owston Ferry, left as it stood in 1975, with local history displays.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Old Smithy stands on the High Street of Owston Ferry, a village in North Lincolnshire. A smithy has worked on the site since 1859. The last blacksmith, George Laming, shut the forge in 1975 and left the tools, fires and equipment in place, so the building survived as an almost untouched Victorian workshop.
The building later became a heritage centre, which opened in 1992. Visitors can see the two forges and the later shoeing shop with its original equipment. Further rooms show photographs and objects that illustrate more than a hundred years of village life, and agricultural tools are displayed in the courtyard.
The centre is run by volunteers and opens only on selected days in summer. A funded project called Sample the Smithy has offered free supervised blacksmithing taster sessions on the forges, and the money is also meant to help repair the equipment.
Highlights
- Victorian forges left as they were when the smithy closed in 1975
- Shoeing shop with original tools and equipment
- Photographs and objects about village life
- Outdoor display of agricultural tools in the courtyard
Permanent exhibitions
- Victorian forges and shoeing shop – The two forges and the later shoeing shop, with the blacksmith’s tools left where they were in 1975.
- Village life displays – Photographs and objects about more than a hundred years of life in Owston Ferry, plus agricultural tools in the courtyard.
- Founded
- 1992
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £4 |
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| Children & teens | £1Child price |
Cash or card accepted.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Listings describe the site as partly suitable for visitors with disabilities and mention an accessible toilet. The museum itself gives no detail.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | Group visits outside the regular open days can be arranged by appointment; email is preferred to phone. |
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