Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet

Over het museum

Abbeydale Works was one of the largest water-powered industrial sites on the River Sheaf. The earliest known records date from 1713, and monks from nearby Beauchief Abbey may have had a smithy in the area as early as the 13th century. The works made crown scythes, forged under tilt hammers, along with riveted scythes and agricultural edge tools such as grass hooks and hay knives. The Tilt Forge dates from 1742, the Worker's Cottage from about 1793 and the Grinding Hull from 1817, and by the 1830s a crucible steel furnace had been added. The Manager's House was built in 1838 and the Coach House and Stables about 1840.

The site was never free of danger. The Grinding Hull was blown up with gunpowder in 1842 during a dispute with the grinders' union, and a boiler explosion in 1870 killed two men. Production stopped in 1933, when the tenants, Tyzack Sons and Turner, moved their work to a works further down the river. During the Second World War the crucible furnace was lit again for a time to make high-quality steel.

In 1935 the site was bought by the Alderman J G Graves Trust and given to the city. It was restored and opened to the public as a museum in April 1970. Later it came under the care of the Kelham Island Museum Trust, which became Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust, and a restoration project of about one million pounds was completed in 2016. Today it is part of Sheffield Museums, and recent improvements have added a welcome hub with a shop and a children's play area.

Hoogtepunten

• Crucible steel furnace, the last complete one of its kind in the UK
• Working waterwheels, dam, tilt forge and steam engine
• Grinding hull, boring shop and blacking shop
• Manager's House, Worker's Cottage and Counting House showing life on site
• Welcome hub with exhibition, shop and a new play area for children aged 3 to 8

Vaste collectie

• Crucible Furnace – The only intact surviving crucible steel furnace of its kind in the UK, shown with the grinding hull, tilt forge and steam engine.
• Waterwheels and Dam – Large waterwheels fed from the River Sheaf through the dam once powered the tilt hammers, blowing engine, grindstones and boring machinery.
• Manager's House and Worker's Cottage – Furnished rooms show what living and working on the site was like, from the mid-1800s cottage to the manager's house and the counting house.

Opgericht

1970

Beheerder

Sheffield Museums Trust

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

De toegang is gratis.

Entry is free and visitors are asked to give a donation of 5 pounds. Some workshops and special events may need a booking.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift: geen informatie
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

The site is historic, with many rough and uneven surfaces and several areas that can be reached only by steps. Two Blue Badge bays are available in addition to the car park, and there is a drop-off point in the upper car park by the café. An accessible toilet is in the toilet block beside the café; the nearest Changing Places toilet is at the Abbey Lane public toilet block on Chesterfield Road (S8 0BR). A tactile map stands outside near the entrance to the Worker's Cottage, folding seats can be borrowed on request, and a sensory map can be downloaded. Machinery on site, including the waterwheel and forges, can be noisy; ear defenders are available. A video with sound and subtitles is part of the All About Abbeydale display.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
• Verschoonruimte
• Speeltuin / speelhoek

A timber-framed play area for children aged 3 to 8, inspired by the history of the site, has been added, and the welcome hub offers activities for families. Baby-change facilities and a welcoming space for breastfeeding are available.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

The Hamlet is just off the A621 on Abbeydale Road South; follow the signs for Bakewell from the city centre.

Service & horeca

• Café
• Museumwinkel

Joni, a neighbourhood café, serves breakfast, brunch, lunch and coffee seven days a week, and dogs are welcome there. The Hamlet Shop in the welcome hub sells local gifts, Sheffield-made food, toys and cards. Food and drink are not allowed in the historic buildings, but picnics are welcome outdoors.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.

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