Chain Bridge Forge

Chain Bridge Forge Historic Blacksmith Workshop which has been preserved and developed into a living museum that includes an extensive online local history collection Mr.

History
Until recently, Spalding blacksmith’s workshop had, for many years, been in the ownership of the Dodd family. The business was started by George Dodd who came to Spalding from Newmarket in 1898. George’s son, James, was also a blacksmith. George and James’ income came principally from shoeing the many horses owned locally by farmers and brewers, as well as putting iron tyres on cart wheels

. The influence of these activities on the workshop can still be seen (see images, below). Geoffrey Dodd, (the previous owner and James’ son), still lives opposite the workshop and he spent much of his career as a blacksmith designing and building many of the floats that participated in Spalding’s flower parade during the 1960s and 1970s. He still has a large archive of material relating to this work. Dodd initially approached South Holland District Council (SHDC) in 1986 with a view to getting the authority involved as he was nearing retirement, had no son to follow him and the building was in a poor state of repair. Discussions continued for the next few years until SHDC purchased the workshop from him on September 20th 1988 for the nominal fee of £1. Chain Bridge Forge Chronology
• The building dates back to the early 1800’s
• 1826 White’s Directory shows Francis South as the Blacksmith
• 1850 – 60 accounts showing the Blacksmith was servicing the boats that used the port
• 1898 – The Dodd Family took ownership and were the last Harbour Master
• 3 generations of the Dodd family worked the forge
• Geoffrey Dodd the last Blacksmith sold it to South Holland District Council in 1989.
• Today we hope to create The Friends of Chain Bridge Forge conserve the artefacts and tell the story of this historic building and build an outreach programme which will involve schools and the community
The building and its significance
The building is thought to date from around 1800 and was purpose built as a blacksmith’s workshop. It is situated on the east bank of the River Welland about one mile from the town centre, only four metres away from the river itself. It has not been listed by English Heritage. It is approximately 12m 35cms long and 6m 35cms wide. It is subdivided internally into three spaces, the largest of which contains the forge and main work space. The floor is mainly of hard packed earth, with large pieces of stone and slate covering some areas

30/08/2026

Ryan working the Forge if you want to say Hi.

The next gates and railings job nearly ready for painting ! Get in touch for a free quote
12/07/2026

The next gates and railings job nearly ready for painting ! Get in touch for a free quote

Have you booked your space yet? Spaces are limited and time is running out, book now to avoid disappointment. Booking is...
12/07/2026

Have you booked your space yet? Spaces are limited and time is running out, book now to avoid disappointment. Booking is easy through Trybooking or just contact us on [email protected] 👉 Book now at [email protected]" rel="ugc" target="_blank">[email protected]

02/07/2026

SHDC_Communities,Spotted: Spalding, UK Men's Sheds Association, Donington community (Lincolnshire PE11),Lincolnshire Free Press and Spalding Guardian, The Spalding & South Holland Voice,SURFLEET, GOSBERTON, PINCHBECK, SPALDING SELLING PAGE AND INFORMATION HUB

SHDC_Communities,Spotted: Spalding,Donington business community (Lincolnshire),Donington community (Lincolnshire PE11),,...
02/07/2026

SHDC_Communities,Spotted: Spalding,Donington business community (Lincolnshire),Donington community (Lincolnshire PE11),,Hello Spalding,The Spalding & South Holland Voice,Spalding & Rural Community Connectors,Lincolnshire Free Press and Spalding Guardian,SURFLEET, GOSBERTON, PINCHBECK, SPALDING SELLING PAGE AND INFORMATION HUB,ALTERNATIVE SPOTTED SPALDING

Not long now until we are back at the Sail loft at the Chain Bridge Forge, running this wonderful little Jewellery workshop!

Let's hope for beautiful weather so we can sit by the river and take in the calming views. ✨️

With a bit of help from Greenwell Horticultural Therapy the bank in front of Chain Bridge Forge and The Sail Loft has n...
02/07/2026

With a bit of help from Greenwell Horticultural Therapy the bank in front of Chain Bridge Forge and The Sail Loft has now been cleared in preparation for Celebrate The River Day on the 5th July. Come along and have a free go at Blacksmithing on the day. , Lincolnshire Free Press and Spalding Guardian, Spotted: Spalding, Hello Spalding, Chain Bridge Forge, Spalding & Rural Community Connectors, Gosberton Village Community Group, Donington community (Lincolnshire PE11), Donington business community (Lincolnshire), Spalding & Rural Community Connectors, Lincolnshire Live, See

We're excited at The Sail Loft to welcome back Dee from Dee-zyn Jewelry who will be with us on the 25th July between 1.3...
29/06/2026

We're excited at The Sail Loft to welcome back Dee from Dee-zyn Jewelry who will be with us on the 25th July between 1.30 and 4.30pm. Spaces are limited so don't leave it too late. Booking your place is easy just email [email protected] or go to https://www.trybooking.com/uk/GNJK

We're excited at The Sail Loft to welcome back Dee from Dee-zyn Jewelry who will be with us on the 25th July between 1.3...
26/06/2026

We're excited at The Sail Loft to welcome back Dee from Dee-zyn Jewelry who will be with us on the 25th July between 1.30 and 4.30pm. Spaces are limited so don't leave it too late. Booking your place is easy just email [email protected].

Address

High Street
Spalding
PE111TX

Opening Hours

Monday 10:30am - 4pm
Tuesday 10:30am - 4pm
Wednesday 10:30am - 4pm
Thursday 10:30am - 4pm
Friday 10:30am - 4pm
Saturday 10:30am - 3:30pm

Telephone

+447960587724

Website

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