Robert Mushet & Darkhill Ironworks

[madannie77]

I came across this by chance when planning walks for a recent holiday. The word Ironworks in ancient monument script suggested "industrial archaeology" to me.

Location of Darkhill Ironworks, on Multimap

Digging around on the internet led to the basic facts and an obvious connection to Sheffield: this was the Darkhill Ironworks, built by David Mushet in 1818-9 but noted more for being the place where his son Robert Forester Mushet worked on improvements to the steel making process. Although the works was used mainly for production of crucible steel, Mushet's experiments took place somewhere on this site as well as at his home. Where exactly on site is not known as he was very secretive about his work.

His first major breakthrough, in 1856, was the use of spiegeleisen (a ferromanganese alloy) to improve the quality of steel produced in the Bessemer Process by burning off carbon and impurities such as sulphur and phophorus and then re-introducing carbon in a controlled manner by the use of spiegeleisen.

By 1868 he had perfected a steel he called R Mushet's Special Steel, the first self-hardening steel, created by the use of tungsten in the alloy. He began making this at the Titanic Steel Works (adjacent to the Darkhill works and now almost completely demolished), but when this business failed an agreement was made with Samuel Osborn, whereby Osborn had the sole right to make the Special Steel and Mushet received a royalty on each ton made. Mushet's sons later worked for Samuel Osborn, with the tools produced using this steel being known as Osborn Mushet Tools.

Mushet was not a great businessman and made little money from his works. In his latter years he was paid an annual allowance by Henry Bessemer.

More details on Robert Mushet:

Tilt Hammer

Wikipedia: this page appears to be factually accurate.

Much of the details accompanying the photos below are from Robert Mushet and the Darkhill Ironworks, by Keith Webb (Black Dwarf, 2001)

[madannie77]

Following many years of decay, an archaeological investigation of the remains at Darkhill was undertaken in 1979. After the work was completed much of the site was buried in soil and grassed over to prevent further decay, leaving the walls visible.Unfortunately the site is now overgrown with bracken and long grass, so there is less to be seen than there could be if the site was better maintained.

An overview of the site from the adjacent cycle path (ex railway line):

Two views of the lowest part of the works, showing the crucible room (centre), part of the boiler houses (right) and another room, purpose not certain (left);

[madannie77]

The remains of the charging incline above the crucible room:

The stairs linking the lower and upper parts of the site:

[madannie77]

A view of the upper level of the works: in this area was a brickworks, storage areas and some tilt hammers:

Alongside the rear wall of the upper level is a footpath which was the horse worked tramroad which provided transport to and from the works. Many of the stone sleepoers are still in situ:

And about a quarter of a mile away is the entrance to a mine which was owned by the Mushets and which provided coal for the boilers at the works.

[madannie77]

In 1857 Robert Mushet supervised the production (at Ebbw Vale) of the first steel rail, which was used by the MIdland Railway at Derby. It was in use for over 10 years without any appreciable decay, in contract to the cast iron rails generally used which had much shorter life spans.

To commemorate this and the role played by the Mushets in the development of steel making a monument has been erected on the cycle path near Darkhill Ironworks:

Theoretically the Ironworks is visible from the Monument, but the trees on the railway embankment have been alllowed to grow too much and have largely obscured the view, which is rather a shame.

[vox]

Excellent set of posts MA.

Good work