Several generations of the family ran the foundry, most notably Rebecca Finch, who managed the business at its peak.
[2] It remained an active foundry until 1960 when the roof collapsed[3] and has been a National Trust property since 1994.
After this, the family business became a limited company under the directors Ralph Finch, Charles Bowden and Richard Barron.
After what happened to the south wall in 1960, Richard Barron bought out the remaining directors and set about the creation of a museum of rural industry.
Since his death the trustees of the Finch Foundry have carried on his idea of forming this Rural Industrial Museum.