Description and History of Site:-
Thomas Chambers and George Newton of the Phoenix Foundry in Sheffield with Henry Longden (who later took it over) leased the site from Earl Fitzwilliam in 1793 and built an iron works almost on the iron ore seams. Two furnaces built 1795 and 1796 with steam engine for blast. In 1802 Newton Chambers foundry works came to the site from Sheffield. In 1859, the proprietors of the iron works inaugurated coal mining on an adjacent site (SYK00860), Coal and iron mining, coking, iron making, foundry work and engineering took place from then on. They were early and important contractors and suppliers of plant to the gas industry and built many gasworks throughout Britain and Europe in the 19th century. They built one in Buenos Aires in 1888 and supplied coal to it until 1914. Coking led them into chemicals (the trade name Izal was used from 1893). Other products ranged from excavators and steelworks plant to military tanks one of which was preserved on the site in the 1990s. Pig iron was made until 1942. Various activities were sold off in late 20th century followed by the site in 1987. Most of it has been cleared and part is a business park (Thorncliffe Park) part housing. The Izal works on Station Road has been replaced by housing and the tank and excavator works on Warren Lane has gone. Remains in the furnace area at SK 351 974 were destroyed by landscaping but a fragment of the unusual conical Rotunda casting hall of c1810 survived there on private ground in 1995 though its 2015 status is unknown. Early (1820s) stone office block with later additions at SK 349 974; near it a building which includes parts of an early stone warehouse and NW a later three-storey stone block with cast iron windowsills (their 2015 status is unknown). Its top floor was the base for the Thorncliffe Experiment a pioneering apprenticeship scheme introduced by Sir Harold West in 1942. The White House (Thorncliffe Hall) neo-Georgian HQ of 1925 at SK 350 972 was designed by Adrian Gilbert Scott. It was to let as fully refurbished in 2015.

Further Reading and References:-
A Guide to the Industrial History of South Yorkshire Derek Bayliss Ed AIA 1995 item D16

Help us improve this entry

The compilers welcome corrections or additional information on all sites.
Any information provided will be verified before appearing on the web site.

Email comments

Key Words :- coke blast furnace ironworking

Address :- Newton Chambers Road, Chapeltown, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S35
Grid Ref :- SK 34929 97470
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.472810 , Long -1.475244
Local Authority :- Sheffield City Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site demolished or no longer extant
Site Condition :- Redeveloped - industrial
Site Dates :- 1793 - 1987
Record Date :- 6 May 2015

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © IHS Database