Built around 600 years ago, The Old Forge at Totnes was originally workshops for the Duke of Somerset's Berry Pomoroy Castle and estates, which were the home of the Seymour family (Jane Seymour was one of the six wives of Henry VIII)
The beautifully converted stone buildings once housed the blacksmith, wheelwright, carpenter and coachbuilder. There were haybarns and apple stores, and cider-making too.
An upstairs courtroom and lock-up cell allowed miscreants to be tried by the travelling magistrates with those convicted being locked up and clapped in irons by the blacksmith all in one efficient operation.
The lock-up has now been restored and given the status of a listed building but is seldom required for guests!
With its walled garden and cobbled yard, the forge still retains the feel of a rural smithy.