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Finch Foundry
The last working water-powered forge in England
Sticklepath, Okehampton, Devon, EX20 2NW
Book a visit
Important notice
Finch Foundry will reopen from Wednesday 19 March and be open Wednesday to Sunday for guided tours. We recommend booking to guarantee entry.
Opening times for 18 March 2025
Asset Opening time Finch Foundry Closed Book a visitEntry by guided tour only. Tours start at 11am, 12 noon, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm. Last entry 1 hour before closing.
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Ticket type With Gift Aid Without Gift Aid Adult (18+) £11.00 £10.00 Child (5-17) under 5s free £5.50 £5.00 Family (2 Adults and up to 3 children) £27.50 £25.00 Family (1 Adult and up to 3 children) £16.50 £15.00 Group (Adult 18+) £9.50 Group (Child 5-17) £4.75 Become a member and discover more than 500 places
Bookshop
Second-hand bookshop in the roundhouse, outside visitor welcome, free to enter
Guided tour
Tours of Finch Foundry take in the gallery, launder, forge and carpenter's workshop. Please make tour guide aware of any special requirements
Car park
Access to the car park is restricted - 2.3m high and 2m wide (7' 5” x 6' 5”). Free parking, no overnight parking allowed
Picnic area
Dogs allowed
Dogs on leads welcome in all areas, please be aware that it can get very loud inside the forge when the machinery is working
Toilet
Unisex toilets in visitor welcome area
Parking drop-off point. Car park height and width restriction: 2.3m by 2m. Grounds and buildings partly accessible. Machinery loud when running.
Accessible toilet
Unisex toilet in visitor welcome area has handrails but does not comply fully with accessibility requirements
Induction loop
Fixed induction loop at till point, portable induction loop available on request for guided tours
Designated parking
One accessible parking space on right side of car park, gravel surface, 30m walk to visitor welcome on various surfaces
Seating available
Seating available throughout foundry, picnic tables in garden
Drop-off point
Drop-off is possible outside visitor welcome, either at end of restricted entrance to car park, or on main road
Steps/uneven terrain
Level access to visitor welcome (with a viewing window into the forge); the carpenter’s workshop (with a window onto the launder); and the toilets. The forge has some uneven steps and an uneven floor of compacted ash. The gallery is accessed by either uneven stone steps or a narrow wooden staircase
By road
Follow brown signs to exit A30 at Okehampton and take B3260 east for 4 miles to Sticklepath. The entrance to Finch Foundry is on the right, a narrow tunnel through the buildings.
Parking. Access to the car park is restricted - 2.3m high and 2m wide (7' 5” x 6' 5”). Free. Designated accessible parking available. No overnight parking allowed.
What3words. To find the entrance of the car park - what3words: ///painters.steamed.highly
On foot
The 180-mile Tarka Trail goes through Sticklepath, a two minute walk from Finch Foundry. Find out more about the Tarka Trail
By train
Nearest train station is Okehampton, 4 miles from Finch Foundry. Plan your train journey with the Dartmoor Line
Onward travel is possible by bus, the Stagecoach 6A bus picks up from the train station, or by bicycle on National Cycle Network 27. There is no taxi rank at Okehampton station.
By bus
Services between Okehampton (including train station) and Exeter on Stagecoach 6A, or Okehampton and Newton Abbot on Country Bus 178. Alight at Sticklepath, Devonshire Inn.
Plan your bus journey with traveline south west
Cycling
Finch Foundry is on Route 28 of the National Cycle Network (NCN28). Approximately 4 miles from Okehampton with no traffic-free sections. Find out more about NCN28
Plan your route to Finch Foundry using CycleStreets journey planner. (This journey planner uses OpenStreetMap data which is generally excellent but accuracy cannot be guaranteed. If you come to a footpath or other cycle-prohibited track, please don’t ride on it). Plan your CycleStreets journey to Finch Foundry
Cycle hire is available from Granite Way Cycles in Okehampton by the train station.
Planning your visit
Article
Booking your visit to Finch Foundry
Finch Foundry is open for guided tours, and booking is recommended to guarantee entry. If you're planning a visit to Finch Foundry, read this article to find out everything you need to know.
Article
Visiting Finch Foundry with your dog
Finch Foundry is a three pawprint rated place. Discover how to have a dog-friendly visit, including what to be aware of and what facilities are available for your four-legged friend.
PDF
Article
Sustainable travel across Dartmoor National Trust
Sustainable travel to National Trust places around Dartmoor is easier than you might think. We've put together a useful guide to help you navigate some greener transport options.
Highlights
Finch Forge
The last working water-powered forge in England. Run by the enterprising Finch family in the 19th century.
Carpenter's workshop
Workshop filled with a range of edge tools, made over the years at Finch Foundry, for local industries.
Garden
Small cottage-style garden and lawn with picnic tables.
Summer House
Decorative, thatched, wooden house built in the 19th century for Tom Pearce and moved to Finch Foundry in 1974.
Second-hand bookshop
A range of books to browse ranging from gardening, to novels to history.
Things to see and do
Article
Things to do at Finch Foundry
Take a guided tour of Finch Foundry to experience the sights, sounds and smells of the last working water-powered forge in England and hear the stories of the people who worked there.
Second-hand books
There are a range of second-hand books for sale in the roundhouse, open 11am to 3.30pm, found just outside visitor welcome. Every penny you spend or book you donate helps us to preserve this unique place.
Top trails
Trail
Walk in the footsteps of Tom Pearse
A short circular walk following the River Taw and taking in Tarka Bridge and the water channel that powers Finch Foundry.
Places to stay
Warcleave Cottage
A woodland hide-out complete with a tree-top balcony and a riverside garden.
Upcoming events
Sorry, there are no upcoming events at this place
About Finch Foundry
A doorway to Dartmoor's industrial past. Take a guided tour of Finch Foundry to experience the sights, sounds and smells of one of the South West's most successful edge tool industries; which at its peak produced around 400 tools a day. Inspect the waterwheels that powered massive hammers, giant shears and a huge sharpening stone. Get an insight into the life of workers in the 19th century and learn about the enterprising Finch family.
History
Article
History of Finch Foundry
Learn how Finch Foundry rose from humble origins to a key site in the British tool industry, under the leadership of various generations of the enterprising Finch family.
Support us
Article
Volunteering at Finch Foundry
Discover the opportunities available for volunteering at Finch Foundry and what you could get out of it.
Art and collections
Article
Tool collection at Finch Foundry
Explore the collection of tools on display at Finch Foundry, and learn what they tell us about the lives of the tradespeople who once used them.