Wortley Lower forge, Water powered Hammer (photo)

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Mr.C
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

16 years ago

What a wonderful find - I've only ever seen drawings of water powered trip hammers. These things must go back to medieval times. Is it being looked after?

Photograph:

🔗Wortley-Lower-Forge-Mill-Archive-Album-Image-007[linkphoto]Wortley-Lower-Forge-Mill-Archive-Album-Image-007[/linkphoto][/link]

We inhabit an island made of coal, surrounded by a sea full of fish. How can we go wrong.......

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ICLOK
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

Sadly on very private ground.... I got these sometime ago by permission when I visited with someone else.

Superb survivor..... I love the Cam arrangement to lift the hammer.
There are other stonework remains very overgrown.... 😞

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh Creeper!!!!!

Mr.C
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

16 years ago

Just hope they appriciate what they've got!

We inhabit an island made of coal, surrounded by a sea full of fish. How can we go wrong.......

ICLOK
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

Nope they just left it... the guy who took me showed me pics of it when much nicer. 😞

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh Creeper!!!!!

Vanoord
54.4% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

Roughly how old is this?

Hello again darkness, my old friend...

Mr.C
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

16 years ago

From the photos I'd say late 1800s - ICLOK?
They were used in the early iron works (bloomsmithys IIRC) to hammer out the impurities from the newly smelted iron.

We inhabit an island made of coal, surrounded by a sea full of fish. How can we go wrong.......

ICLOK
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

Let me have a look.... I quote

"Wortley Low Forge (or Neather Forge) seems to be the newer of the two Wortley Forges although this cannot be confirmed. First records show that the forge was used as an extension to Top Forge in so much as Low Forge housed the Chafery Forge where 'Anconies' (blocks of roughly forged iron) from Top Forge were re-heated and hammered into saleable products.

From 1835 about Puddling Furnaces were built at Low Forge (see plan below) and Pig Iron, bought in from elsewhere, was converted into Wrought Iron and hammered into bars.

Product included Iron Bars, a large amount of which was taken to Top Forge for conversion into axles.

We have a description of Low Forge and also a list of their workers, both from about 1900

Close in 1929, most of the site was demolished, however the old water powered hammer remains."

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh Creeper!!!!!

Mr.C
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

16 years ago

Shame it's not better looked after!
A lot of these sort of sites seem to be neglected either because the owners are old & worried about strangers being about (for obvious reasons), or new money who think they're too important.
The former in my experiance are immensly proud of what they have & once confidence has been gained, are more than happy to have their "thing" looked after - the latter won't live for ever - just hope the site survives them!

We inhabit an island made of coal, surrounded by a sea full of fish. How can we go wrong.......

ICLOK
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

trust me site will get conserved ultimately... I dont disagree with you, it will take time and negotiation.... lets hope not too long

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh Creeper!!!!!

AR
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

#10

I certainly hope so - although there are other trip hammers preserved at Wortley Top forge and Abbeydale scythe works, they're still a rare enough survival to be worth the effort of conservation.

Speaking of conservation of the remains of the Sheffield steel industry, I was pleased to see that when a load more student flats got thrown up down in Shalesmoor, instead of demolishing the old crucible works on Melinda street, they restored it instead. :thumbsup:

Follow the horses, Johnny my laddie, follow the horses canny lad-oh!