A History of 'The Old Smithy'
In 2022 we made the move into 'The Old Smithy' to make it a base for our business. The premises is a property full of history and considered a Grade II heritage site, as recognised by Historic England. It had been a part of the Sandon Estate for over 200 years, but in 2026 we were allowed the opportunity to purchase this historic property. We jumped at this opportunity and it now truly feels like home!
Blacksmiths & Wheelrights
​The building actually began its life as a hunting lodge for the Sandon Estate. It would have acted as a forum for hunters to convene prior to going out on the hunt.
In 1834 the 'Cheadle' brothers began to use the building as a blacksmiths and wheelwrights. Later, in 1907, the smith was Roger Downing, who is pictured smoking his pipe in the doorway. For the most-part, the property was used as a blacksmiths, hence the name 'The Old Smithy'.
Bernard Jack
​After its long time as a blacksmith, the building was then used as a furniture restorers by a gentleman named Bernard Jack (see picture).
We have had plenty of people visit us with stories about Bernard Jack, showing what an impression he has on the local area.
The building was then used as an antique shop and this closed in the mid 2010s.
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We took over in 2022, after a hiatus in the buildings tenancy and have since built our business from this historic location in rural Staffordshire.
Modern history
The building was disused for a period and had a clear lack of investment - meaning a full renovation was required. We began renovations in 2022 and opened the shop later that year. ​
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Since then, we have installed a new log-burner, replaced the windows and we will continue to maintain the property long into the future.
Story time
There are not many photos showing the history of 'The Old Smithy'.
However, in 2025 we received a visitor all the way from Vancouver, Canada. The gentleman that visited explained that his late Grandfather (Tom Poyner - the gentleman on the right hand side of the photo) ran the Blacksmiths shop from some point in the 1920s to the start of WWII.
These photos are a part of a memories scrapbook that were compiled by Tom’s Daughter.
As a business we are a custodian of this fantastic building and sharing some of the history is vital in ensuring that it is not forgotten!
