Cousland Smiddy Trust
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The aim of the Trust is to preserve the Smiddy buildings and their surroundings as a key part of the village's heritage and amenity and keep alive the tradition of rural blacksmithing.
The Smiddy was threatened with closure in 1986, when the then blacksmith Kit Sked (well into his 70s), announced his retirement. The Cousland Smiddy Working Group was formed believing that Cousland Smiddy could become a superb local heritage and educational facility.
Cousland Smiddy Trust was established in 1989 as a small company. The Trust secured a 10 year lease on the property. The Trust eventually became the owner of the Smiddy property in March 2001.
Our on-going work has been to improve the environment to provide a pleasant resource at the heart of the village and engage villagers in enjoying it. We regularly provide volunteering opportunities.
The exhibition space within the cottage tells the story of the blacksmiths of Cousland and the work of Cousland Smiddy Trust. It is also used to house temporary displays of local importance to the village, e.g., outcomes of research projects by the local history group.
Our planned, major conservation projects were split into three main phases:
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Phase 1 of the project involved the Smiddy, the workshop and the grounds; making them safe and suitable for a working blacksmith and benefiting local villagers and visitors.
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Phase 2 concentrated on the Smiddy cottage; making an exhibition space, a meeting room for small community groups and an office for the Trust.
- Phase 3 will see the re-build and conversion of the remaining buildings and further remedial works to the smiddy, cottage and workshop. The new multi-use exhibition, archive and education rooms will provide more community space and letting opportunities for activity and special interest groups. Having this facility will allow villagers and visitors to access the large collections of documents, maps, photos and artefacts and create research space for continued investigations into Cousland's colourful and interesting history.
A planning application has been lodged with Midlothian Council and permission has now been granted.
The Smiddy
Key achievements to date include:
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The Smiddy has been retained as a place of employment. The continuation of a traditional country craft in an ancient blacksmith’s workshop has been assured through:
- Repair to Smiddy walls and windows and re-roofing of Smiddy and attached machine shop
- Rewiring of the machine shop and Smiddy to comply with current workplace legislation
- A blacksmith runs a thriving business from the Smiddy
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An important building in the industrial heritage of Scotland has been conserved and will be maintained in good condition:
- Conservation of the early and rare belt driven machinery in the workshop
- Conservation of the original hand driven bellows in the Smiddy
- Rebuilding of the ruined but’n’ben to eaves height
- Some tools and artefacts have been conserved and catalogued
- Display materials and an exhibit have been set up
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General environmental improvement at the heart of Cousland Village:
- Major environmental improvement to all Smiddy grounds and careful repair and conservation of the garden walls
- Levelling and re-seeding of the adjoining paddock
- Clearance of derelict land, creating a pleasant, well-tended walkway for villagers
- Development of former garden and waste ground into a series of organic allotments used by villagers
- Community involvement in working the allotments in the garden
- Creation of pathways to ensure easy access for wheelchair users
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Refurbishment of the smith’s cottage:
- Cousland has gained a focus for community activity
- Provision of an office for the Trust
- Provision of a room for community use
- Provision of an interpretative and educational exhibit that describes the history and use of Cousland Smiddy
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The care taken in execution should act as an example for other industrial archaeology restoration projects: :
- The building, tools, artefacts and recordings are available as a resource for local and industrial historians.
This achievement would not have been possible without grants and donations from a wide range of funders, the dedication of the volunteer members of Cousland Smiddy Trust and help from a large number of “Trustees” and other interested individuals.
The Smiddy complex, as we see it today, reflects a huge amount of work in the last 20 years or so.