The forge and bellows room are part of a 17th century barn conversion, and in 1811 the shoeing room and blacksmith’s shop were added when Frederick Page moved in. The Page family ran the village smithy at Much Hadham until 1983, when Charles Page died aged 91. Charles’s daughter, Miss Jean Page, conveyed the forge and its two cottages to the Hertfordshire Building Preservation Trust by Deed of Gift in 1988.

Much work has gone into restoring the forge, its buildings and contents. The Forge Museum was opened in 1991 by His Grace, the Duke of Grafton. At this living Museum our resident blacksmith, Richard Maynard, can be seen working in the traditional craft along with displays, a collection of blacksmith tools, photographs, and documents from the past. There is also a TV/video display showing films on relevant themes.

The Victorian Cottage Garden

The garden houses a rare early 19th century bee shelter and a reconstructed granary building that originally stood on agricultural land connected with the Earls of Essex in Watford.

The Wall paintings at Forge Cottage

Inside one of the rooms at Forge Cottage are a series of wall paintings. Thought to date to the late 16th century when the building was part of a medieval hall house and court room during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, they depict various scenes and themes. These include a scene from the bible - the Judgement of Solomon (1), the heraldic arms of both the Queen Elizabeth (2) and of the owners, the Newce family (3).
The symbolism and historic context of these paintings has been researched and shows that they are unique. Their survival is astonishing and therefore their conservation is a priority. An on-going programme of monitoring and long-term conservation is being conducted.

A series of late 16th century wall paintings found inside The Forge Museum