Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
Educational, Plenty To See And Do |
| Disadvantages: |
Not Very Accessible For Disabled, Closed In Winter, Not Free |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
The Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet is one of only two Grade 1 Listed Buildings in Sheffield and it has also been designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Originally called the Abbeydale Works this is a unique Industrial site that dates from at least 1714. Many of the things here are still operated by original water wheels on the River Sheaf, that flows through the site, and all of the machinery here is still in full working order.
The Industrial history of this part of Sheffield goes back over 800 years and although the first written records of the Abbeydale Works date from 1714 it is known that there were already many established Industries in this area and dozens of water wheels had been built along this stretch of the River Sheaf.
As long ago as the thirteenth century the Monks from nearby Beauchief Abbey had a water wheel and a smithy that was probably located just across the River from where the Hamlet stands today. In 1685 a man called Hugh Stevenson is recorded as renting the "New Wheel" along this section of the River. From the early 1700's several different people rented the Wheels along this River. The most famous of these were the Dyson family from 1829 until 1846 and the Tyzack family from 1849 until 1933. Both of these names are still synonymous with the Sheffield Steel making Industry, though their Companies have long been absorbed into British Steel and the many Global Conglomerates that have followed.
There is a large mill pond located next to the Hamlet and this was enlarged in 1777 when the Tenancy of the site was held by the Goddard family. In 1785 a Tilt Forge was built and a few years later, in 1793, a row of Cottages for the worker's were built. A Grinding Hull was built in 1817 and a few years after that a Crucible Furnace was built. Today this Crucible Furnace is the only example of a working Crucible Furnace anywhere in the World.
The Abbeydale Works closed in 1933 and were bought by the J G Graves Trust, who donated it to the Sheffield City Council a few years later. During the Second World War the Crucible Furnace was briefly re-opened to make high grade Steel for the War effort.
The machines were fully restored by Sheffield City Council who re-opened the site as a Museum in 1970. It was the first working Industrial Heritage site of its kind in Britain.
Today, the water from the mill pond still drives four large water wheels. These turn massive tilt hammers and bellows that operate a Forger's Hearth. Whilst a series of smaller Wheels drive grindstones and boring lathes. All of these processes are used to make Blades which are still produced on the site and exported around the World. The only process that is not carried out on site is the rolling flat of the Crucible Steel Bars, this is done at the nearby Totley Rolling Mill. The Grinding Hull is still used to sharpen the Blades as the final process before they are packed.
A visit to the Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet is a fascinating day out and one which I certainly found very educational. There is only a small area of the Works that is still used today and most of the
other Buildings are now used to display exhibits relating to the Industry of this area.
Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet is currently closed for the Winter but will re-open to the public on Sunday the 8th April until Sunday the 7th October 2007.
It is open at the following times:
Monday to Thursday from 10.00am until 4.00pm
Sunday 11.00am until 4.45pm
(It is closed Friday and Saturday)
Admission prices are:
Adult £3.00. Concessions £2.00. Accompanied Children Free.
Access for disabled visitors is not brilliant since this is an old working site and many of the floors within the Buildings are quite uneven. The Works Gallery which houses a large exhibition and contains information on the whole site is however fully accessible by wheelchair users and many of the information placards here are also in Braille.
There are toilets located in the main car park that have both disabled access and baby changing facilities.
The address is:
Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet
Abbeydale Road South
Sheffield
S7 2QW
Tel: 0114 2367731
Fax: 0114 2353196
Thank you for reading.
