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Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet
Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet is an industrial museum in the south of the City of Sheffield, England. The museum is a former steel-working site on the River Sheaf, with a history going back to at least the 13th century. It consists of a number of dwellings and workshops that were formerly the Abbeydale Works—a scythe-making plant that was in operation until the 1930s—and is a remarkably complete example of a 19th century works. The works are atypical in that much of the production process was completed on the same site (in a similar manner to a modern factory). A more typical example of water powered works in the area can be found at Shepherd Wheel.
The site is a scheduled ancient monument, the works are Grade I listed and the workers' cottages, counting house, and manager's house are Grade II* listed.
Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet - History
The site was used for iron forging for 500 years, although there is evidence of other metal working prior to 1200 AD. Its early history is intimately tied with the nearby Beauchief Abbey, which operated a number of mills on the River Sheaf. From the 17th century the site was used as a scythe works until it closed in 1933. At this time it was bought by the J. G. Graves Trust who donated the site to the city. The works was briefly reopened during the Second World War to aid in Britain's war effort.
Following restoration the works were opened as a museum in 1970. Sheffield City Council closed the museum in 1997 as a cost cutting measure. It was then leased to the Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust who reopened the museum in 1998.
Kelham Island Museum, Shepherd Wheel
Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet - The museum
Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet is run as a working museum, with works and buildings dating from between 1785 and 1840. The museum demonstrates the process making steel from iron and coke using techniques that originated with Benjamin Huntsman's invention of the crucible steel process. The river provides water power via a water wheel. There are several wheels on the site for driving a tilt hammer, for the initial forging of the scythe blades; grinding machinery, which also has steam installed as backup for times of drought, and a set of bellows. The blades were also hand forged for finishing.
The museum is open to the public Sunday–Thursday between April and October.
See also
- Kelham Island Museum
- Shepherd Wheel
Other related archives1200, 13th century, 1785, 17th century, 1840, 1930s, 1933, 1970, 1997, 1998, AD, Beauchief Abbey, Benjamin Huntsman, City of Sheffield, England, Grade I listed, Kelham Island Museum, River Sheaf, Second World War, Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust, Shepherd Wheel, blades, coke, crucible steel, drought, dwellings, factory, forging, grinding, iron, machinery, metal, museum, scheduled ancient monument, scythe, steam, steel, war effort, water power, water wheel, workshops
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