Charles Holcombe, blacksmith at 9 Trafalgar Place

Charles Holcombe’s Shoeing Forge, Bath (1895): Craft, Community, and Coal-Dust Pride

This striking photograph from 1895 captures the exterior of C. Holcombe’s Shoeing Forge at 9 Trafalgar Place, Bath—a bustling blacksmith’s shop where Charles Holcombe, R.S.S. (Registered Shoeing Smith) proudly led his trade. The sign above the corrugated roof reads: “Smiths Work in All Branches – Shoeing Force – By Examination”, reflecting the skilled professionalism of an era when craftsmanship was the backbone of every town.

In front of the forge stand a group of workers—blacksmiths in aprons, a boy with a mallet, and local men leaning on carts and wagon wheels, all part of the everyday rhythm of life fuelled by iron, fire and horses. The forge itself was more than a workplace; it was a hub of neighbourhood life, industry, and pride.

Behind each soot-streaked apron lies a story of hard-earned skill and quiet dignity—a powerful reminder of how tradesmen helped shape Victorian Britain from the ground up.

📍 9 Trafalgar Place, Bath, England 🗓️ Year: 1895 🔍 Suggested tags: blacksmith, Bath history, Victorian trades, Charles Holcombe, Trafalgar Place, historical workshops, smithy life, Bath and North East Somerset, horse-shoeing, working-class heritage

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