Until about a hundred years ago many villages and towns had blacksmiths who would make metal household items and tools and weapons, repair cart wheels and make horse shoes as well as many other essential things.   With mass production of welding metal and agricultural machinery replacing horses, the need for blacksmiths declined and no longer were they among the most important people in the community.   Now much of their highly skilled work is making gates and railings, parts for machinery, repairs and restoring metal and making decorative items.
A reminder of the past is Cousland Smiddy which still exists with occasional demonstrations and is now a heritage centre for the local community. If I had visited either last Saturday or next Saturday, it would have been possible to watch the blacksmith working but I have seen him before.   The smithy dates from the early 1700s with a 200 year old adjacent cottage containing a large collection of information about the area.  Outside can be seen a water trough for horses as they waited to get shod and a foot operated grinding stone.  It would once have been a busy part of the village but now is a very quiet reminder of bygone days.