Smithy Cottage, Lowick Bridge, Cumbria: House History

Smithy Cottage in Lowick Bridge, as the name suggests, was used as a smithy for over 150 years. The earliest definite record of it is from the 1820s, when it was occupied by the Bowerbank family, but there are earlier references to a smithy in Lowick Bridge which is likely to be the same place. Two generations of the Bowerbank family lived and worked at the site, although the second generation moved to Dalton before 1881. Several members of the Bowerbank family worked as blacksmiths, and there are many others recorded in South Cumbria. They were succeeded by a number of other families, and during the early 20th century the property was also used as a post office. It is still described as a smithy into the 1950s, although it is not certain that it was in use at this date. By the late 1940s at least part of it was known as Croglin Cottage before it was renamed Smithy Cottage in the late 20th century.