Cementation Furnace

The cementation furnace, located on Doncaster Street in Sheffield, dates from the late 19th century and was restored in the mid-20th century. It is constructed of brick with wrought-iron reinforcement and features a conical tower topped with a square flue that has an iron flap damper. There are short coped flanking walls on two sides. One side has a square access hole for loading and discharging, with a half-round stoke hole below it. The opposite side has a similar access hole with damper handles positioned above. This furnace was used for the manufacture of blister steel, which was the original raw material for crucible steel. Although blister steel fell out of use for this purpose after around 1870, the furnace continued to operate until 1952. It is the only remaining example of a type of industrial building that was once common in Sheffield and is designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.