Day 4 - Finch Foundry and House of Marbles

We had wanted to visit Canonteign Falls today, but the cloud base was low and the mizzle continuous, so we knew we would not get the benefit of the views if we did go. With that in mind, plan B was put into motion. Finch Foundry at Sticklepath.

We approached through a narrow roadway that runs through the centre of the building and parked up in a large parking area at the rear of the property.

Here we could see the tea rooms and the water wheels that fed the machinery inside

On an hourly basis there is a demonstration in the forge, and Ken was our guide through the history of the building and it's owners and workers

having shown us some white hot metal being cut by the mechanised scissors via the water wheel, we then proceeded upstairs for a further demo of the blades being sharpened on a mill stone, also powered by water.

we found it fascinating that so many well know sayings came from jobs like these. If you look at the picture below, it is of 2 men sawing wood (using a saw made by Finch's). The wood is held down on either side by a metal dog (again made by Finch's).

The saying that comes from this is 'The Under Dog' (chap in the pit) and 'The Top Dog'. (chap looking downto the pit)..... Cool eh!

Outside was the summer house and the Quaker Burial ground associated with the village.

Behind the graveyard is a lovely river, and we took a short walk up the banks before leaving and moving on to our next stop.

House of marbles is in Bovey Tracey, and contains all of the history of how marbles came about and just how long ago.

Here is Paul with a marble making machine.

We then walked through an area that showed how to make glass and looked down on the glass blowing works and shop.

Another history and information filled day for us, that we finished off at a lovely little coffee shop in Bovey Tracey.