Finch Foundry facts for kids
Finch Foundry is an old workshop in Sticklepath, a small village in Devon, England. It was built in the 1800s and used the power of water to make metal tools. Imagine, it once made about 400 tools every single day!
The person who started it was William Finch, born in 1779. His family, including a very important woman named Rebecca Finch, ran the business for many years.
The foundry worked until 1960 when part of its roof fell down. Now, it's looked after by the National Trust, a group that protects historic places. They keep the old machines working and show visitors how they were used. You can see amazing water-powered hammers like the tilt hammer, drop hammer, and shear hammer.
Contents
The Story of Finch Foundry
Early Days and Family Business
The Finch Foundry was first known as Manor Mills. In 1805, it was run by John Browning and John Stanbury. William Finch started his own foundry there in 1814. At that time, he was a tenant of John Stanbury.
The Finch family kept the foundry running for a long time. They worked there continuously from 1814 until the end of World War I. After the war, three Finch brothers – Albany, James, and Thomas – bought the property. They wanted to make the business even bigger.
Surviving Tough Times
The foundry managed to stay open even during the tough economic times of the 1930s. This was a difficult period for many businesses. However, the expansion of the Finch brothers helped them survive.
The family business continued until Albany Finch passed away in 1945. After that, it became a limited company. Ralph Finch, Charles Bowden, and Richard Barron became the directors.
The End of an Era
The company kept going until 1960. In that year, the south wall of the foundry collapsed. This event marked the end of Finch Foundry as an active workshop.
Becoming a Museum
A New Idea for the Foundry
After the wall collapsed in 1960, Richard Barron bought out the other directors. He had a big idea: to turn the foundry into a museum. He wanted to create a place that showed how rural industries worked.
Sadly, Richard Barron died in 1964. His dream of a museum had only just begun.
Carrying on the Vision
Even after his death, the people in charge of Finch Foundry continued his idea. They worked hard to create the Rural Industrial Museum. This museum helps us understand how tools were made long ago.
Since 1994, Finch Foundry has been a property of the National Trust. They preserve this important historical site. They also offer demonstrations, showing how the powerful water-driven hammers once shaped metal. It's a great place to learn about history and technology!
Gallery
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A National Trust volunteer explaining how the foundry operated and was powered
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Demonstrating the flattening of a red hot cast iron bar using the tilt hammer
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Demonstrating the shear hammer by cutting a segment of red hot cast iron bar which had previously been flattened by the tilt hammer
