Historic building recording at The Forge, High Street, Great Oakley, Essex, CO6 1UB

A programme of historic building recording was carried out by Colchester Archaeological Trust at The
Forge, Highstreet, Great Oakley, Essex on the 6th of March 2026. The recording identified historic
timbers still forming elements of the structure, a section of the original brick and mortar forge and a
steel wheelwright plate associated with the building. The wheelwright plate represents a diversification
in the blacksmiths craft in the latter half of the 19th century as a response to the ongoing effects of the
industrial revolution in the lives of traditional craftsmen.