The Bay Horse Blacksmiths Perhaps ? ...

Firstly a lady on the Thornton Cleveleys Forum is trying to locate Rose Bud Cottages in Thornton. They seem to be between Gaskells Farm and Marsh Mill and any help would be great.

I’m doing another page for the Knights, Noblemen and Landowners section of the site at the moment .. Roger de Poitou is now on. I was going to look at Earl Tostig but some records (and Brian) correctly state that he died in 1066 at the Battle of Stamford Bridge whilst others clearly mention him after this. Have decided to do Huck (de Singleton) instead he seems much easier to trace and couldn’t resist after seeing him referred to as Huck (Fuccus) de Singleton. Well it tickled me.

I’ve been contacted by John after mentioning a blacksmith at the Bay Horse and he remembers a building which used to stand just behind the pub which he and his mates used as a den. It was brick built and looked very old and was covered in Ivy.

Click on the pics to enlarge them.

This is a 1960’s aerial photo courtesy of John and Mario Maps.















And a modern map with where I think the building was .. ish.



















This is John’s excellent drawing of the layout of the building and it’s a very strange layout. There were no obvious steps down to the lower floor so perhaps a ladder was used.

The mysterious thing is that it isn’t shown on any of the OS maps from 1840 – 1912 but quite clearly it was there and as John said it was very old. Perhaps it had been derelict for a while and was just wasn’t noted .. I will have to have a look at the 1932 map next time I go to the Library. I have no idea if this layout would show a Blacksmiths shop but being next to the dyke (which is a main dyke here) would provide water for whatever was going on and the large fire in the corner could have been the forge.

Another theory could be that this was the old brewery for the pub which also would need water (don’t fancy dyke beer myself) and a fire. Perhaps the vats stood on the lower level.

This is one where we’ll probably never know but interesting never the less.

A