A History of Abbeydale Hamlet
The recorded history of Abbeydale dates from 1714, but it was possibly occupied earlier. The
industrial history of the area goes back at least 800 years.
In the thirteenth century, the monks of Beauchief Abbey nearby had a smithy in the area, probably
just across the river from the Hamlet. In 1685, Hugh Stephenson rented "New Wheel" at the site.
After this, the site was run by various people, in particular the Dysons from 1829 to 1846 and the
Tyzacks from 1849 to 1933.
The dam was enlarged in 1777 during the Goddard family's tenancy of the site. The Tilt Forge was built
in 1785, the Workers' Cottages in 1793 and the present Grinding Hull in 1817. The Crucible Furnace had
been built by the 1830s, as had a number of hand forges, warehouses and offices. The Manager's House,
built in 1838, and the coach house and stabling from about 1840, were the last buildings, apart from the
first floor warehouse above the Blacking Shop. This was added in 1876.
Abbeydale was also the scene of many an industrial incident. In 1842, the Grinding Hull was blown up
with gunpowder, destroying the two gable ends and dislodging all the roof tiles. The Grinders' Union at
the time was in dispute with John Dyson, the joint-manager of the works, for employing non-union labour.
20 years later, Joshua Tyzack, joint manager at the works, was shot at 5 times whiles on his way to
Abbeydale. The dispute again concerned employment of men who did not belong to a union.
Abbeydale closed as a working site in 1933 and was bought by the J G Graves Trust, who donated
it to the City of Sheffield. The site was restored to working order by the Council for the Conservation
of Sheffield Antiquities. It was then developed as a museum by the City Council, opening to the public
as Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet in 1970. The crucible furnace was briefly reopened during the Second
World War to make high grade steel for the war effort.
The Works were restored and developed as a museum, opening to the public as Abbeydale Industrial
Hamlet in 1970. It was one of the first industrial heritage sites to open in the country.
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