Chain Bridge Forge Museum

Chain Bridge Forge is an early 19th-century blacksmith’s workshop beside the River Welland in Spalding, Lincolnshire. It stands on High Street, on the south bank of the river, and was built as a purpose-made forge in the first half of the 1800s. The building takes its name from the nearby footbridge, originally a chain-linked drawbridge designed to let boats pass upstream from the Wash. Watercolours by Hilkiah Burgess show how the bridge worked, and records from 1850 to 1860 show the forge repairing boats for the working port at Spalding. The forge was owned by Francis South in its early years, when it supplied ironwork for river traffic. In 1899 it passed to George Dodd, who ran it for three generations, mainly shoeing horses and repairing farm tools. By the 20th century blacksmithing declined, so Geoffrey Dodd, George’s grandson, adapted by building floats for Spalding’s Flower Parade. When the building fell into disrepair in the 1980s, the council bought it for £1 and restored it in 1991 with help from English Heritage. Today the Forge is a living museum where visitors can see blacksmithing demonstrations and try simple forging themselves. Displays, guides and videos explain Spalding’s history and the forge’s role in trade and industry. Ironwork made on site is sold in the shop, and the building opens during the Flower Parade each year. The Friends of Chain Bridge Forge run the museum with the council, keeping the workshop’s heritage alive for new visitors.