Building record 589/0/37 - The Smythy

A later 18th or 19th century smithy, now house. Locally listed building

{1} The Smythy is a two storey ironstone building with a slate roof. The front elevation has a central doorway with a canopy porch, which is a modern addition. Either side of the door way is a window opening with timber lintels painted white. The windows are metal casements with leaded lights. On the first floor there were previously three windows but the central window above the doorway has been blocked. The building’s slate roof has brick chimney stacks at either end. It is depicted on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1885 with additional buildings attached to the rear elevation on a similar footprint to the existing building. However, the present rear parts of the building are a recent extension. They have, however, been built in a form and using building materials that are sympathetic to the character of the historic building and The Chantry and Forge Cottage on the opposite side of the lane. The present cottage replaced an earlier building within the same plot which is depicted on the 1742 Knightly Estate Map, although it is not known whether this was also a smithy. The Smythy contributes to views of the historic street scene, the sense of enclosure in this part of the conservation area, and is an important building in the grouping of historic buildings at the east end of Old Forge Lane.

<1> Daventry District Council, 2021, Preston Capes Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan, Adopted March 2021, p. 70 (Report). SNN116192.

Record last edited

Sep 16 2026 1:04PM