Description and History of Site:-
Most of the site is now used as a mixed sports and recreational facility. The line of an inclined plane tramway, which originally linked the foundry to the canal basin in Elsecar, can still be discerned and much of it is now a public footpath. There is some evidence that the Milton Iron Works was in existence by the end of the 18th century, and it is known that by 1806 there was at least one blast furnace operating there. In 1823 two furnaces at Milton were reported to have yielded 2187 tons. In the same year, castings for two large suspension chain bridges were produced. These bridges were designed by Marc Isambard Brunel for the French Government, and exported to the island of La Réunion.

Graham and Company of the Milton Iron Works built, in 1845, a 70 horsepower engine for the Cromford Canal Co. This engine, for the Leawood pumping station is still extant and steamed regularly.

The castings for the Stanley Ferry aqueduct (WYK00596) of 1851 were made here. Graham and Co were still operating from Milton Iron Works through the latter part of the century, but production finished and the blast furnaces 'blown out' in 1883. Around that time it was reported that two blast furnaces, fourteen puddling furnaces and five rolling mills were at work. The works were closed and partly dismantled soon after.

In the closing years of the 19th century, parts of the original site were redeveloped as a smaller iron and brass founder's operation by the firm of Ashforth, Hall and Hawthorne. Initially the firm seems to have been a success, but by 1905, then trading as the 'Milton Foundry Ltd', the operation went into liquidation.

Further Reading and References:-
https://hemingfieldcolliery.org/history/spotlight-ironworks-elsecar-and-milton/

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Key Words :- coke balst furnces ironworks foundry

Viewing the Site :- Open area to the east of the car park on Milton Road

Address :- Milton Road, Hoyland, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S74 9BN
Grid Ref :- SE 37505 00152
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.496739 , Long -1.436118
Local Authority :- Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site demolished or no longer extant
Site Condition :- Site cleared - no above ground remains visible
Site Dates :- 1797 - 1905
Record Date :- 15 July 2020

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Nick Nelson