Finch Foundry

Finch Foundry is a preserved 19th-century edge-tool forge in Sticklepath and, as the National Trust describes it, England’s last working water-powered forge. This compact industrial museum makes most sense when you follow the water: a leat and launder carry River Taw water to three wheels, which drive the hammers and shears. The guided tour shows how the machinery fits together, with demonstrations that make the power source more than a display. Be ready for a loud spell when the hammers run.

The forge began in 1814 in an existing cloth mill. It made edge tools for local farming and mining, producing around 400 a day at its peak. After George Finch died in 1885, his widow Rebecca took over the business; under her leadership it reached its most productive and profitable period. Production ended in 1960, but the site reopened as a museum in the early 1970s. On the tour, hands-on tool examples lead into the gallery, working forge and carpenter’s workshop, where the collection shows the range of work behind those water-powered machines.

Visits are by guided tour and last about an hour; booking ahead is recommended to secure a place. Access is mixed: the welcome area, carpenter’s workshop and toilets have level access, while the forge has uneven steps and a compacted-ash floor, and the gallery involves uneven steps or a narrow staircase. The machinery can be very loud. The free car park is reached through a narrow opening only 2.3 m high and 2 m wide, so check that limit before driving in. There are picnic tables in the garden and a free second-hand bookshop in the roundhouse, but no tearoom at the foundry; village pubs and a tearoom are separate options. A short circular walk by the River Taw reaches Tarka Bridge, the sluice and the leat that feeds the forge.