Thursday, October 15, 2015

The Smithy at Teddington

Opposite the Wheatsheaf Hotel in Teddington is a little corrugated iron shed that not so long ago looked like this...




With the support of the Parkinson Trust, David Bundy has driven the restoration of the old Blacksmith's Shop, built on Gebbie family land sometime after the construction of the Wheatsheaf in 1875. The first we hear of the Smithy is an advertisement in The Press, July 1889.
Wanted known  -  J. Bryden has started a Blacksmith's Shop, Head of the Bay, Teddington, where he hopes to receive a fair amount of patronage.
Once the hotel was constructed and the road around the harbour opened up, this would have been a busy junction with farmers driving stock from the peninsula to market in Christchurch (via Dyers Pass or by sea from Teddington). It is likely that J. Bryden did get a 'fair amount of patronage'.


Smithy later in life when it was used as Ra Blatchford's contracting headquarters


Restoration of the building is almost complete and if you go past on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday you will likely find retired blacksmith Les firing up the forge. He will welcome you in for a look and a chat.





4 comments:

  1. Brilliant I remember it so well,every time I came past there I would stop and have a talk to Dave Bundy who use to work there for a while.

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  2. Hope you can drop by Ton. Big collection of old tools there too.

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  3. Must drop past- would he be ok if I brought a camera?

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