Scarrington Horseshoes

Thax, on March 22, 2007, said:

SCARRINGTON HORSESHOES. The present pile of some 30,000 horse shoes was constructed between June 1945 and April 1965. It was built by Mr George Flinders who was the blacksmith for 31 years at Scarrington Forge. The present smithy Building dates from c1840 but it is believed that there may have been a forge here for at least 300 years The monument stands 17 feet high and 19 feet 6 inches in circumference at the base. The shoes are interlocked without any supporting column and it is estimated the weight of the stack is in the region of 10 tons. This constitutes:- 'THE LARGEST KNOWN STACK OF USED HORSE SHOES IN THE WORLD'. In 1973 the horse shoe pile was bought by the Nottinghamshire County Council to prevent it being taken to America. Some remedial work was necessary in 1987-88. Disintergration and the taking of souveners by treasure-hunters had caused the stack to lean severly at the top and weakening the of the bottom. The Stack was dismantled and re-built in 2007 as it had again started to lean.

lord_al, on September 7, 2008, said:

When it was reconstructed they used NEW shoes and added a steel girder placed in the centre. Gordon and his son David Gill maintained the horseshoe pile for many years after George Flinders retired. For a short period the horseshoe pile at Aslockton Forge was taller until it collapsed last year. It is currently undergoing reconstruction.

Alex Gill.