The earliest written reference to this name was in 1550, when it was noted as Le Smythe Place. A smith was a skilled person who worked with iron or other metals at a forge. In Anglo-Saxon folklore, smiths were particularly admired because they could make things out of metal, and this was seen as an almost magical process.

​

Helpful story hints: Who worked at the Smithies? What did they make there? Did they make ordinary household items, like goblets, or did they make something else? What was the smithy like – was it dark and dingy, or bright and airy?