In rural Österhaninge near the Hårsfjärden bay there is a picturesque little village called Stadsberga. I have visited the Västergården farm before, so you know at least one horse that lives there! And I have shown you the beautiful rural road that leads up the Middle Farm. A few days ago Jim and I decided have a closer look at the Mellangården (Middle Farm). Luckily for us we met the owners, Ulla and Stig-Arne Skärbäck. They bought the place back in 2001. As Ulla disappeared into the stable with one of her horses, Stig-Arne gave us a guided tour around the old farm. So you can expect a few more photos in the next week or so. But today I will show you the old smitty. It's around 300 years old and in need of restoration. Stig-Arne and his wife have been busy fixing up all the buildings at the farm, but have yet to start with the smitty. We climbed (!) in and sat on the floor (mind your head), as Stig-Arne and Jim discussed all the stuff in the smitty. What you see here is a Fältässja, (a forge). A tool that the smith used to heat up the metal. This is a portable version and I believe it was foot-powered. It's hard to understand, but the smitty was in use up until 25 years ago.
