Little Woodham
Living history village
Little Woodham, Grange Farm, Barrington Close, Howe Road, Gosport, Hampshire PO13 8NZ
17th Century Forge Experience Day
Please use the enquiry form below for further information
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work in a 17th Century Forge? No electricity, no modern equipment Little Woodham are offering a unique experience; a chance to spend a day working in the 17th Century coal forge with our village blacksmith, David Brightmore.
A little different to a normal professional blacksmithing day, we hope this will appeal to the novice as well as a more experienced blacksmith.
The experience will start with lighting the sea coal forge using flint and steel, then throughout the day you'll be working with steel and wrought iron to make replica 17th century ironwork to take home, on anvils that are hundreds of years old using traditional techniques in the beautiful setting of Little Woodham. You'll also learn a bit of history about C17th blacksmithing but the best part of the experience is; providing you with a glimpse of what it was like to be a C17th blacksmith by creating beautiful ironwork in this unique replica C17th sea coal forge using original anvils.
To enjoy the day you don’t need any prior knowledge of blacksmithing. You will learn techniques such as how to bend, twist, draw out and shape the iron as well as identifying different temperatures will be explained in a relaxed and informal way to give you the best opportunity to get the most out of the day and ensure you take home some beautiful ironwork that you will be proud of.
Cost = £150.00
Per attendee
Maximum of two experience day attendees in the forge.
£75 deposit payable when booking.
The remaining £75 to be paid 7 days prior to the experience day.
Friends/family as spectators are free and are welcome
All proceeds go to the Gosport Living History Society Charity to help with the upkeep of the village.
Start Time = 09:00
End time = 17:00 (approx)
The day will start at 9:00 with a brief safety chat after which you will prepare and light the fire using a flint and steel. David will then show you around the forge and the tools and equipment that you’ll be using. On a typical experience day you will start off making a hand forged square rose head nail. Look carefully at a wooden beam in any old building and you’ll be sure to see this type of nail. The great thing about making a nail is it will allow you to quickly become familiar with the old anvils, how hard/soft to hit the metal and to become familiar with the forge environment. Then you'll make other period items, depending on your experience some items can take longer than you think, and remember it is quite physical work so it’s important to pace yourself.
Throughout the day there will be plenty of fresh coffee, tea, hot chocolate, snacks and water or juice, the only thing we can't provide is lunch so you'll need to bring your own, however you are more than welcome to cook your lunch over the forge.
Although there are no age restrictions, I would recommend a minimum age of 16 purely due to the heavy work involved.
Dates available - 2022
March 2022
Sorry - Fully Booked
April 2022
Sorry - Fully Booked
May 2022
Sorry - Fully Booked
June 2022
Sorry - Fully Booked
July 2022
Sorry - Fully Booked
September 2022
Sorry - Fully Booked
October 2022
Sorry - Fully Booked
November 2022
Sorry - Fully Booked
Enquiry form
Sorry 2022 is fully booked
The dates go very quickly, usually within a fortnight.
Please contact us if you would be interested in reserving a place for 2023
Have a look at the available dates, choose which date you would like to book, then contact us using the enquiry form.
Please include your name, the name pf the person that will be attending the forge day, and include an address, including post code, to where the booking confirmation and information pack should be sent.
On receipt of your enquiry, you will receive a reply detailing where to send the deposit in order to fully book the date.
