Abbeydale Works Museum

Abbeydale Works Museum

A scythe works, now an industrial museum, located on Abbeydale Road South in Sheffield. This integrated steel tool production site dates from around 1714, with the main structures built during the period 1785 to 1830, largely constructed during the tenancy of the Goddard family. The works remained in continuous use until 1933 and was restored in 1970. It is of outstanding importance as a complete example of this type of industrial plant and its characteristic design, and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The complex is built of coursed squared stone with ashlar dressings and stone slate roofs. It comprises a tilt forge (1785), grinding hull (1817), crucible furnace, hand forges, warehouse and counting house (all c1800–1830, with the warehouse raised and first floor added in 1876), and a coach house and stable (c1840). A single storey engine house containing a horizontal steam engine of 1855 was reconstructed in 1989.

The west side elevation features the central tilt forge, open to the roof with a two-storey gable-facing elevation. A central Venetian window with a keystone inscribed "G H G 1785" has unglazed side lights, with a central doorway flanked to the left by an unglazed two-light window. To the right stands a coped wall with two doors, behind which are positioned three water wheels: a wood and iron pitchback wheel of 5.5 metres diameter and an iron overshot wheel of 4.4 metres diameter (which drive the tilt hammers and blowing engine respectively), and a second wood and iron pitchback wheel of 5.5 metres diameter driving the grinding hull. A first floor boring shop and millwright's chamber follow, featuring a large board door and external wooden stair, with a square opening below to the ground floor containing an iron overshot water wheel that drives the boring shop. The grinding hull is set with a facing gable incorporating a Venetian window with a dated keystone, glazed central light flanked by single board doors, and below to the right, a door.

To the left of the tilt forge stands a single storey fitting shop with a large brick gable stack, a central five-light glazing bar casement flanked to the left by a board door with overlight and to the right by a two-light shuttered window and a stable door. Further left is the crucible steel furnace, a single storey structure above a cellar, with a brick rear wall crucible stack of five flues. Stone steps and a ramp lead to a central board door flanked by single unglazed stone mullioned windows, with a larger board door to the right and a barred cellar light to the left.

The south side comprises a range of hand forges, single storey in height, with six stone ridge stacks. Each forge features a stable door flanked to the right by a two-light unglazed stone mullioned window with shutters.

The east side contains, to the right, a warehouse and cart shed raised in 1876 with a gable stack, rising two storeys with a six-window range of three-light glazing bar casements. Below are three cart openings with round piers made of discarded grindstones. To their left are two two-light casements and then a three-light one. To the right are a stable door and a two-light casement. At the right end stands a single storey hand forge with a stable door and two-light mullioned window. The left end houses a blacking shop (now museum shop) with a rear wall stack, two storeys high with a two-window range of three-light glazing bar casements and below, a central door with hood flanked by single three-light casements.

The north return range comprises the counting house and stable, workshop, and coach house. The north front shows the counting house on the left, higher than adjacent structures with two gable stacks, two storeys tall with a central double twelve-pane sash window and below to the right, a beaded six-panel door with overlight. The left gable features a double board door to the stable with stone jambs and a shallow gabled stone hood. The workshop to the right is two storeys tall with a two-window range of three-light glazing bar casements on each floor, the lower ones larger. The two storey coach house, positioned at the rear of the counting house, has a central three-light casement flanked to the left by a board door reached by an external stone stair. Below the stair are a pair of carriage doors and a dog kennel. To the right is a three-light casement with stone lintel.

The tilt forge interior features a king post roof, two tilt hammers, a twin cylinder blowing engine, and an elliptical arched reheating hearth. The boring shop has a king post roof and horizontal boring machines. The grinding hull contains a strutted queenpost roof and seven grindstones with housings. The crucible furnace comprises a brick vaulted pot cellar, charge room, and five furnace holes. The hand forges contain individual hearths. The counting house is fitted with a cast-iron fireplace. All machinery and equipment is complete and in working order.