Description and History of Site:-
South-eastern part of site closed and left to await redevelopment, whilst north-western part converted to other industrial uses.
Around 1863 Thomas Wragg set up a firebrick works which was destroyed the following year in the great flood when Dale Dyke Dam burst. Fortunately the newly built works were adequately insured, and the site was quickly rebuilt. By 1879 the operation had become Thomas Wragg & Sons, with Thomas junior running the firm. In 1885 Thomas Wragg purchased Loxley Old Wheel site, and was used as part of the enlarged Storrs works for clay crushing and preparation, and started mining on Worrall Moor. In 1891 the mine at the brickworks, Top Cabin mine, was started. Between 1918 and 1923 the firm became a limited liability company with the title of T. Wragg & Sons (Sheffield) Ltd., and around this time they also acquired B. Trickett & Sons with their Load Brook Brickworks and mine. Throughout this time the works were steadily improved. Around 1925 Thomas Wragg & Sons bought Brookside brickworks from J. Drabbles & Sons. So by the mid-1920s the company had three brickworks making refractories, with attached mines, and two separate fireclay mines. By the mid-1950s whilst the original works had being greatly extended they were still discernible. In 1956 the clay preparation plant at the Old Wheel site closed. Thomas Wragg & Sons (Sheffield) Ltd. was bought by J. & J. Dysons Ltd. in 1969. In 1980 Dysons decided to stop making pre-shaped fired refractories, which resulted in Storrs works being sold, initially to Steetley Refractories Ltd. It is not clear how long they remained there before the works passed to G.R.-Stein Refractories Ltd./Hepworth Refractories Ltd., who also operated the adjoining Storrs Bridge Works, but it is thought to be in the 1980s. Over time the various sections of the works went out of use, with the last section closing in 1995.

Further Reading and References:-
Ray Battye, Forgotten Mines of Sheffield, ALD Design & Print, Sheffield, 2004.

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Key Words :- brickworks, brickyard, firebrick works, fireclay, refractory, kiln

Address :- Rowel Lane, Storrs, Loxley, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S6 6GY
Grid Ref :- SK 2949 8981
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.404292 , Long -1.557897
Local Authority :- Sheffield City Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site extant - Protected status unknown
Site Condition :- Site in alternative industrial use
Site Dates :- by 1864 - c1995
Record Date :- 17 August 2018

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Chris Bateman