Description and History of Site:-
Demolished and site cleared in 2006. Limited redevelopment so far (2018). Founded by Stephen Whitham in 1851, the operation was sold to James Kitson in 1854. The firm produced high-grade iron and steel, including "Best Yorkshire" iron, supplying the local engine-building industries. They were particularly known for rolled steel boiler plates. One of the earliest to install Siemens steel furnaces. In 1903, the works were revisited by the Institution of Mechanical engineers (their earlier visit was in 1876) who reported that:

"The Works of the Monk Bridge Iron and Steel Co. occupy an area of about 10 acres, and are divided into two parts by the Whitehall Road. The principal manufactures of the Company are:—Best Yorkshire iron bars, plates, forgings, &c.; Special Steel tyres, crank-axles, straight-axles, forgings, &c.; and cast-steel locomotive wheel centres. The Company owns blast-furnaces in another part of Leeds, where they make pure cold-blast pig-iron for the manufacture of "Best Yorkshire Iron." The pig-iron from which "Best Yorkshire Iron" is made is treated in two open-hearth refineries, which are supplied with cold blast by a horizontal blowing-engine with a 48-inch air cylinder.

Puddling Furnaces.— There are 22 puddling furnaces, the iron from which is shingled and hammered at 4 hammers before being taken to the mills and blooming hammers. There are altogether 12 steam hammers for the manufacture of " Best Yorkshire Iron " into blooms for finishing into plates and bars, steel blooms for tyres and axles, and finished crank-axles, forgings, &c., in iron or steel.

Hydraulic Press.—The hydraulic press of 1,200 tons capacity is used for making large forgings and for pressing crank-axle ingots, the hydraulic pressure of 21 tons per square inch being supplied by an engine having 2 cylinders of 20 inches diameter. In the same shed are 2 powerful hammers employed in the manufacture of steel tyres and axles, Ac. Steel is manufactured by the Siemens-Martin process, and the melting furnaces are supplied with gas from Wilson's producers. The Steel Foundry is under the same roof as the steel furnaces, and is fitted with three 30-ton overhead electric cranes.

Rolling Mills.— These consist of 19-inch, 14-inch and 10-inch bar mills; the 19-inch mill is driven by a 30-inch cylinder horizontal engine, reversed by a patent clutch; the 14-inch mill is driven by a compound beam-engine with 40-inch and 48-inch cylinders. This engine also works a train of forge rolls. The 10-inch mill is worked by a 30-inch cylinder horizontal engine. The plate mill consists of 2 pairs of plate rolls, driven by a 36-inch cylinder horizontal engine, and reversed by a patent clutch. The tyre mill is driven by the same engine that works the large bar mill.

Machine and Turning Shops.—These are electrically driven. Steam is raised in 13 mechanically-fired boilers, in 2 groups of 5 and 8 boilers, and also in 17 boilers arranged over the puddling furnaces. The feed-water for the boilers is heated by 2 sets of Green's economisers, and 3 Berryman's heaters."

The company went into decline during the 20s and 30s. Many of the local companies that Monk Bridge were supplying, reduced the scale of their production and some went out of business altogether. The company survived a little longer than others in the same situation by taking on orders of a military character for the Ministry of Supply. The company eventually went into liquidation in 1942 at which point the works were taken over and operated by the MoS until 1951. It was sold to Sheffield based Daniel Doncaster and Sons and survived until 2005, when the works were finally closed, by producing precision castings for the aviation industry.

Further Reading and References:-
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/1876_Iron_and_Steel_Institute:_Visits_to_Works
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/1903_Institution_of_Mechanical_Engineers:_Visits_to_Works#Monk_Bridge_Iron_and_Steel_Co
http://www.leedsengine.info/leeds/histjw.asp#MB

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Key Words :- ironworking steel furnaces

Address :- Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS12 1BE
Grid Ref :- SE 29091 33044
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.792900 , Long -1.559880
Local Authority :- Leeds 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 :- 1851 - 2006
Record Date :- 3 December 2018

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