Monument record TR 16 NW 1308 - Post-medieval blacksmith's forge, Sea Street, Whitstable

A post-medieval blacksmith's forge was excavated during a 2018 evaluation carried out at Sea Street, Whitstable in advance of proposed development at the site. Features relating to structures post-dating the construction of the 1583 sea wall and buildings constructed following a fire in 1869 which damaged both residential and industrial buildings in this area of the town were identified during the excavation.

A series of deposits relating to structures built following the construction of the 1583 sea wall were identified. Some of these were overlain by deposits of charcoal, suggesting that the structures had either fully or partially burned down during the 1869 fire. Following this, further structures had been created at the site, evidenced by elements of walls, brick foundations, and at least three new floor layers.

Buildings created in this area both before and after the 1869 fire were likely industrial in function, with deposits containing wire, a horseshoe, files, and other metal artefacts excavated during the evaluation, suggesting that a blacksmith's workshop had occupied the site. The excavation report (1) includes historical documentation regarding a blacksmith's workshop burning down during the fire, suggesting that the site may have had a similar use both before and after the 19th century.

Some brick foundations excavated may represent the remains of a house with the blacksmith's workshop to the rear. (1)

<1> Swale and Thames Archaeological Survey Company, 2018, Archaeological Evaluation of Land at The Tile Warehouse and Former Boat Storage Yard (The Oval Chalet) and adjoining Land, Sea Street/Sea Wall, Whitstable, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE58021.