Description
18th and 19th century. Single storey pair of cottages
with smithy adjoined currently (1989) absorbed as
1 cottage. Pink sandstone rubble with stugged quoins
and droved window margins.
SW ELEVATION: irregular arrangement. 3-bay cottage to
right, with door flanked by windows. 3 bays to left with
former door blocked as window, further window and wide
machinery doors to outer left.
NE ELEVATION: gabled projection with forge at N; blank
gable with evidence of former opening/addition; door on
left return, window to right return. Modern
conservatory addition.
Variety of glazing pattern with diamond lead-paned
casement windows and plate glass, sash and case to rear.
Pantiles. Ashlar coped skews. Later stone stacks.
INTERIOR: hooded fire opening of forge in situ, with stone
seats and bellows to one side; carved initials. Grid of 4
square holes (labelled "Witches Niches") on mutual wall.
OUTBUILDING: earlier smithy. Gabled block to SW of The
Smiddy, with lean-to adjoined, serving as garden house and
tool-shed. Gabled porch breaking eaves above doorway on
NE side of lean-to. Truncated stack remaining.
RETAINING WALLS: rubble sandstone retaining walls to
garden at rear, and low wall by roadside.
Statement of Special Interest
Allegedly Queen Mary and entourage stopped at the smithy
on journey to Edinburgh, which would suggest that some of
smithy existed on the site at this earlier date. A further
smithy lay nearby at Pitcox, and the 1906 OS shows Acredale
and Little Acredale, opposite The Smiddy, also defined
as "Smithy". A further lean-to outbuilding to NW of
outbuilding described above, was formerly adjoined, though
it is not included in current listings. The Smiddy is
listed category B in respect of the forge and bellows
retained in the interior.