There was water,water everywhere at Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet this Sunday as famlies enjoyed the first Abbeydale Family Sunday of the 2010 season with activities showcasing Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust use of renewable energy sources through the years.

'Mr Tyzack', Living History owner of Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet took tours around the Hamlet highlighting the part waterwheels played in the Hamlet's industrial heritage as a rural scythe and steelworks and one of the largest water powered industrial complexes on the River Sheaf.

The Education through Angling team teamed up with Sheffield City Council's City Ecology Service to give youngsters the chance to learn more about the creatures crawling around nearby rivers, taking them under the microscope before releasing them safely back into their natural habitat.

Kids could also make a creepy crawly of their own with arts and crafts activities taking place throughout the event.

Also attending and demonstrating renewable energy sources was Solar Active and Bumford Solar whose Solar Panels help to heat the boiler at Kelham Island Museum which in turn runs the mighty River Don Engine.

The Friends of Botanical Gardens Plant Sale demonstrated planting as part of their first Plant Sale at Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet and at the Heeley City Farm stand kids could have a go at badge-making in advance of the upcoming Heeley Festival next weekend.

Don't miss the next Abbeydale Family Sunday - Traditional Crafts and Skills - taking place on Sunday 4 July and packed with local craftspeople demonstrating their trades.

Families can enjoy FREE admission to Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet this Spring Bank Holiday!

Join us for a preview of our annual October Steam event on Sunday 30 and Monday 31 May when Steam Rollers, Road Locomotives and Engines will be on display*.

Free family activities will also take place on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd June when we'll be ‘Down on the Farm' in conjunction with the Hawley Gallery. Kids can step back in time to when Abbeydale Works made scythes and other farming implements and learn how the tools were made and used over hundreds of years. You'll learn to spin and card sheep's wool and have fun dressing up with our role playing Living History characters.

Opening times: Monday - Thursday 10am - 4pm and Sunday 11am - 4.45pm. Closed Fridays and Saturdays. The Hawley Gallery is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

*Please note: Living History activities will not be available at the Steam Preview

October 3rd and 4th saw Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet close its most successful summer season yet with thousands of visitors attending our annual Steam Gathering.

On a sunny, but windy weekend, the final event in the calendar welcomed record numbers for a celebration of steam with tractor engines, steam rollers, miniature engines and kids activities.

The Steam Gathering event brought to life the story of the Industrial Hamlet through traditional craft demonstrations, living history characters, live art and a variety of family and children's activities. For the first time an Art D'or exhibition of paintings based around the hamlet and steam were on show with visitors getting involved painting a giant tableau to be displayed at the Industrial Hamlet.

Ridgway Forge invited children to get involved and create a snail to take home demonstrating traditional forgework and William Price the chimney sweep recruited volunteers throughout the day! For those not so interested in getting dirty, Mary Naylor the Victorian housekeeper, was in the Manager's House making hot drop scones over the original stove!

John Hamshere, Chief Executive of Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust said:
"With both steam enthusiasts and families attending, the impact of the introduction of free admission can clearly be seen. We are delighted with the record number of visitors over the 2 days following on from a 40% overall increase over the summer. We hope this rise in footfall will increase next year with the continuation of free admission".

Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet is holding an event on Sunday 2nd August to celebrate a tradition known as Lammas Day, which marks the first harvest of the season and will rejoice the sight and smells of seasonal produce.

Lammas Day is also known as loaf mass day, and originates from medieval times. During the event, families will be invited to join in with the wide range of entertainment that is taking place, including demonstrations from local craftspeople and activities such as the Lammas Ribbon Dance.

Niki Connolly, Events and Marketing Officer for Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust commented

"Lammas Day is the third family Sunday event of the 2009 season and is part of our free event programme called 'Abbeydale Family Sunday's'.

"Since the announcement that Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet has removed all admission charges, we’ve had a very positive response from the families that have visited us. Everything at the Lammas event will be provided for free and it’s a fantastic opportunity to visit the museum and get involved with some fun activities and entertainment."

Visitors will be taken back in time as the entertainment will be provided by a number of characters from the ‘good old days at the former Industrial Hamlet. Characters will include a Victorian Poacher, named Bill, who will display his campfire cooking and tell tales of ferreting, rabbiting and ratting. Bill will be joined by a Victorian Housekeeper, who will demonstrate Victorian baking for the visiting crowds.

Also at the event, Sainsbury’s will join-in the loaf making theme and provide tasting sessions of a variety of breads and seasonal foods. Local businesses Abbeydale Garden Centre and ‘Wild Star Food’ will also join in with the ‘grow your own’ theme.

Lammas day was originally celebrated on the first day of August to mark the first wheat harvest of the year, when it was customary to take a loaf of bread to church, made from the new crop.

Hundreds of families visited a sunny Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet site last weekend for a free Family Sunday event celebrating its traditional crafts and skills heritage. Visitors heard tales about the fascinating story of the former Sheffield industrial site and explored living and working in an 18th century steel works.

The historical significance of Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet, which dates back to the early 1800's when the area was an industrious scythe and steel works, was recreated with traditional skills and crafts performed as part of the annual Family Sunday series of events that takes place across the summer season at Abbeydale.

Niki Connolly, Events and Marketing Officer at Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust said,

"It was an action packed day and hundreds of families joined in the entertainment and activities, which included demonstrations from local craftspeople and the historical characters that Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust is famous for.

"It's fantastic that we can open the doors at Abbeydale for free so that families can see local traditions and former industry being brought back to life. We have a number of events taking place across the summer and are looking forward to equally well attended events. We would particularly welcome families who have never visited the site before to come and see us over the summer"

Highlights of the Family Sunday event were local craftspeople showcasing traditional skills including a blacksmith, grinder, potter, lacemakers, weavers, spinners and dyers, a cane seat maker and green woodcrafts. Hands-on children made traditional rag rugs and willow fish whilst the braver helped our blacksmith make a snail over the anvil. Others had fun learning the tricks of the trade as a chimney sweep, from the 1800s prowled the Hamlet site hunting out a willing assistant!

Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet remains open for free throughout the entire summer period, opening daily from 10 am until 4 pm Monday to Thursday and 11 am until 4.45 pm on Sunday.