Sheffield steel: Urgent action needed to protect unique steelmaking heritage 'before it is lost forever'
A councillor has raised the alarm about the condition of two early 19th cementation furnaces and a historic listed cutlery works in Sheffield city centre.
Brian Holmshaw wants the “neglected” sites improved and preserved for future generations, warning that once gone “they are lost forever.”
A car crash earlier this year demolished railings around Bower Spring Cementation Furnace, a scheduled monument on Bower Spring at Shalesmoor. Historic England says it is the remains of two brick cementation furnaces, with parts of the cone-shaped superstructures incorporated in a boundary wall.
They are: “Very rare survivals of once common furnaces used for early methods of mass producing steel.”
Coun Holmshaw, who represents Broomhill and Sharrow Vale, said: “The site is already overgrown and in a poor condition. This damaged fencing just makes it more vulnerable. Until I raised this, the council’s insurance department was unaware of the damage to this historic site. I will be pushing for urgent action to get the railings fixed.”
On nearby Doncaster Street, Coun Holmshaw is also worried about the Daniel Doncaster Cementation Furnace, a scheduled monument and the “single best example” of this type of steel making furnace to survive in Great Britain. It also has multiple layers of well preserved furnaces and industrial deposits
He said: “It is obvious that it has not been well maintained, with saplings growing out of its sides, damaging this historic structure.
“I am pleased the council has issued a Section 215 notice that requires remedial works to be carried out and I will be keeping a close eye on the building to help ensure work is carried out swiftly to protect this unique part of Sheffield’s heritage.”
Across Doncaster Street stands the Grade II listed Don Cutlery Works, one of the first integrated cutlery works in the world.
Coun Holmshaw added: “It is clearly in a poor condition and covered in graffiti. There are also reports of holes in the roof of the building.
“I am pleased at least that, following my raising the issue at council, that city council officers will be in contact with the owner regarding the work needed to ensure it is properly maintained.
“Heritage-led regeneration has the power to improve an area, both economically and in the way that it looks. We have seen this at the Kelham Island Conservation Area nearby.
“The area around the Don Cutlery Works and the Daniel Doncaster Cementation Furnace are part of a major 825 home development being overseen by Homes England.
“Given that this is a sensitive site, it is vital that both these historic assets are not just protected but improved and preserved for future generations. This should be a significant consideration as part of any planning application for the site.
“Once these places are lost they are lost forever and it is vital that the authorities know these places are important, cared about and that we speak up for them.”
Sheffield City Council said the property services team was working with South Yorkshire Industrial History Society to fix the damaged railings at Bower Spring Cementation Furnace. The site also contains buried remains and, depending on the nature of the repairs, Historic England may also need to be involved in the discussions, it added.
Meanwhile, the authority’s enforcement team had served a Section 215 notice to the owners of Daniel Doncaster Steelworks Cementation Furnaces requiring the owners to cut back and remove or treat all vegetation and remove all graffiti and fly posters. This work has just been completed.
Finally, it said officers were aware of the condition of the Grade II listed Don Cutlery Works and they were in communication with the owners about it.