Chain Bridge Forge

Chain Bridge Forge
Preserving a 19th Century Blacksmith
It is situated on the east bank of the River Welland about one mile from the town centre, only four metres away from the river itself.
The building dates back to the mid 1700’s and in 1826 it appeared in White’s Directory and it shows that the Blacksmith was a Francis South. It then appears to have been sold to Edward Fisher who was general town Blacksmith and from his 1850–60 day books it showed his trade also included the servicing the boats that used the port of Spalding. In 1898 the Dodd Family took ownership of the Forge and were recorded as Spalding’s last Harbour Master. Three generations of the Dodd family worked the forge. George Robert Dodd originally from Heckington in Lincolnshire where he did an apprenticeship and learnt to shoe horses at Newmarket and presumably it had paid well enough for him to get married and purchase the forge for £280. The Forge had to adapt with the times and in the 1950’s Geoffrey Dodd business almost ended but he turned his hand to making carnival floats for the Spalding Flower parade and this continued for another 30years. In 1989 the building was sold to the local Council and work was done to preserve it structure but sadly was not developed as a museum. Today we hope to fulfil this vision and The Friends of Chain Bridge Forge has been formed to conserve the building and its contents, tell the story of this historic building and Blacksmiths and the community that used it. There will also be a full educational programme which will involve schools and the community.