"Finch Foundry" at Sticklepath, Okehampton, Devon

England's last working water-powered forge

A fascinating insight into the realities of the Industrial Revolution.  Three overshot waterwheels provide the power for this forge - it's NOT in fact a foundry - which produced edge tools (i e cutting tools, such as hooks, shovels and scythes) from the mid 19th century until 1960.

Here the museum guide is demonstrating a one-ton tilt hammer flattening a red hot cast iron bar.  The workshop is fascinating, but the noise and fumes generated by the machinery here will have wreaked a heavy toll on the workers' health.

The site has belonged to the National Trust since 1994; this will ensure its survival.