Description and History of Site:-
Crucible steel was used to make high quality steel wire umbrella frames crinolines needles etc. Stocksbridge Works is the steel works which developed from an original wire mill. Samuel Fox set up in a former cotton mill at Stocks Bridge on the River Porter (or Little Don) in 1841 to make wire for hackle and gill pins for the wool trade and then umbrella and crinoline wire. A wheelpit was found at north end of south office block during alterations in 1991. He patented (1852) the Paragon folding umbrella frame with U cross-section ribs the ancestor of all modern folding umbrellas. The works began to make crucible steel c1860 and was one of the first to use the Bessemer process in 1862. It rolled rails from 1863 (but had no railway link until Fox built the independent Stocksbridge Railway in 1877) and later made tyres axles and springs. Open hearth furnaces 1899-1968. Became part of British Steel Corporation in 1967, rebranded Stocksbridge Engineering Steel and then Corus (1999) and Tata Steels Speciality (2006). Most recently, sold (along with all the other Tata operations in the UK) to the Liberty House Group in 2017.

Electric furnaces continuous caster and rolling mills making alloy stainless and special steels. Stainless steel wire pioneered 1920; wire and narrow strip (eg strip for razor blades) still made here but by separate firms Fox Wire and Avesta. Oldest buildings SK 273 986: 1868 General Office built of fireclay bricks North Office Block 1864 for fabricating umbrella frames and South Office Block 1877 for wire drawing. These two tall stone buildings are based on late 19th century textile mill design. The town of Stocksbridge developed around and for the works. Works now (2017) much reduced in size from maximum extent.

Further Reading and References:-
Bayliss, D (ed). A guide to the industrial History of South Yorkshire. Association for Industrial Archaeology, 1995, entry E23.

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Key Words :- wire works speciality steel works ironworking

Address :- Hunshelf Road, Stocksbridge, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S36 2AA
Grid Ref :- SK 27238 98572
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.483167 , Long -1.591014
Local Authority :- Sheffield City Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site extant - Protected status unknown
Site Condition :- Operational site, in use for original purpose
Site Dates :- 1841 -
Record Date :- 6 May 2015

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