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View Full Version : Stanton Ironworks, Ilkeston Derbyshire - January 2009



thompski
19-04-2009, 06:57 PM
Derbyshire's industrial heritage is vast - from the Derwent Valley Mills (one of the Midlands two world heritage site's), Derby's railway and aerospace industries (which continue to this day) and North Derbyshire's mining to name but a few. The county was also home to numerous foundries and perhaps the best known were those at Stanton and Staveley.

Iron production in Stanton dates back to the Roman period and remains have been found of Medieval operations. The true beginning is believed to be when Benjamin Smith of Chesterfield established several furnaces along the Nutbrook Canal. Unfortunately Smith struggled and the company went through a series of takeovers during the 19th century.

In the 1870s there was a huge demand for Iron due to the ongoing Franco Prussian War and became the Stanton Ironworks Company. In 1960 it merged with the works at Staveley near Chesterfield to become Stanton and Staveley and was nationalised into British Steel.

In the 1980s it was privatised and was acquired by the Pont-a-Mouson group later Saint Gobain. At its peak it employed over 12,000 people, production ceased in 2007.

A more concise history can be found here - http://www.stantonironworks.co.uk

Words and pictures cannot truly convey the scale of this place - it is a myriad of walkways, gantry cranes, storage tanks and production lines and little if any machinery has been removed. I felt truly privileged to have walked amongst this massive industrial behemoth, and it makes me ever more proud of my home county's history.

Visited with the Pirate, and later returned with 4737 Carlin.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3115/3166508215_00da7e6e90.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1033/3167242774_f74188273f.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3077/3167260502_7ca25f474f.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3085/3166436201_25ec312f00.jpg

Gives a bit of idea of the scale of this place
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1385/3167281804_4cfebb0777.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3077/3167290308_fc3ccdf7e8.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1135/3166467815_e92da822d3.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3091/3167304210_472bc46cb9.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3114/3167319566_2a41d29cfb.jpg

boxfrenzy
20-04-2009, 09:41 AM
Looks like a jumbo site to explore. Good work.

Rebel
20-04-2009, 11:13 AM
Nice ariel view :thumb