Doors Open Days at Kippen Smiddy

On either side of the hearth sit two sets of bellows. The older, tear-shaped or long bellows are of a traditional design, and are set into a wooden frame on the eastern wall. They would also have been subject to a regular maintenance routine – as an apprentice, another job completed by Andrew Rennie at least twice a year would be to oil the leather of the bellows with caster-oil to prevent them from cracking in the cold weather. The bellows also retain some interesting details: the handle is worn down at the end from use, and they still display the small marks on the surface that were made when the smith tested new ‘sheep-marks’ (used to brand numbers of identifying marks on the horns of sheep) by burning them into the wood.

Trust staff presence on site allowed for ventilation of the Smiddy, which coupled with the warm weather helped reduce the mould on the older set of bellows that had developed due to proximity to the damp eastern wall. A damaging build up of dirt and dust on the surface of the wood was also cleaned off to allow for further drying out and the removal of mould spores, and will prevent staining and loss of detailing.

The interior of the Smiddy and other in-situ collections, such as the foot-operated lathe (for turning iron or wood and drilling holes), were also carefully conserved. However the largest task, tackled by our volunteers, was cleaning the array of metal tools used for holding metal both whilst in the hearth fire and when being hammered. These included the various pairs of tongs, special quarryman’s tools, flat metal, and round bars in the hearth fire.

Other tools on display on the Smiddy walls requiring conservation included files, for widening holes and for finishing off a piece of work. These ‘bores’ or ‘heading tools’ were used for making different shapes and sizes of bolts. The volunteers also helped to clean chisels for cutting grooves on hot and cold metal, as well as general purpose hammers and ‘hardies’, used in cutting the heels of horseshoes for laying plough socks and for putting clips on horse shoes.

In addition to the remaining tools, other items left by Andrew Rennie in Kippen Smiddy reveal much about the craft of a blacksmith. The team discovered Andrew Rennie’s diary from the 1950s, detailing his work and commitments. This, along with the remaining earlier accounts from Kippen Smiddy, reveal how the trade of smithing changed very little from 1750 to the 1950s. The majority of the work was making or mending tools and shoeing of horses, and Andrew Rennie carried on shoeing until quite late in his career.

There were, however, references to Andrew Rennie’s move to diversify into ornamental ironwork in the mid-20th century. As horses became less common due to the increased use of tractors and other machinery, Andrew Rennie concentrated on wrought-iron work, which included making gates and ornaments such as candlesticks, candelabras and fire screens. One of our volunteers recalled Andrew Rennie giving her an ornate candlestick as a wedding gift and many of his works are still visible throughout the village of Kippen.

We highly recommend a visit this month to discover more!

Kippen Smiddy will re-open for Doors Open Days 2022 on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 September, 2–5pm.

Getting here: Rennie’s Loan, Kippen, Stirling FK8 3DX

Find out more about Doors Open Days