English Steel Corporation

[Stuart0742]

Received by email

Hi there I wonder if the history society can help with a project for Gripple. We have just purchased a building at the bottom of Hawke Street (left hand side going down, with the entrance and offices off what is now Alfred Road). It lies behind the ROM building on Brightside Lane.

We think it may have belonged to the English Steel Corporation and was once their West Machine Shop - it once extended from the boundary on Hawke Street back as far as Don Road, but around 1993 the front end was demolished and the whole building reclad in blue and re-roofed. The building is not shown on the OS map from 1905 - around that area was all housing at that time with a pub on the corner called the River Don Inn which opened in 1857 and closed in 1951. This map also shows that Alfred Road was originally below the building in question, but is now above it. Our problem is to try and find pictures of the outside of the original building as we would like to restore the building as original as possible. Pictures of the inside we have found on Picture Sheffield. Work is now starting on the renovation and therefore time is quite short. Many thanks and we look forward to hearing from you and whether anyone can help us.

Brenda Wilson

PA to Hugh Facey

Gripple Ltd

[dunsbyowl1867]

A difficult one - my grandad's was born at & his family lived at no 2 Hawke Street for many years and I have been looking for a photo of it and The River Don Pub for even more!

Gripple are the firm in the old Firth Norfolk Works aren't they?

Received by email

Hi there I wonder if the history society can help with a project for Gripple. We have just purchased a building at the bottom of Hawke Street (left hand side going down, with the entrance and offices off what is now Alfred Road). It lies behind the ROM building on Brightside Lane.

We think it may have belonged to the English Steel Corporation and was once their West Machine Shop - it once extended from the boundary on Hawke Street back as far as Don Road, but around 1993 the front end was demolished and the whole building reclad in blue and re-roofed. The building is not shown on the OS map from 1905 - around that area was all housing at that time with a pub on the corner called the River Don Inn which opened in 1857 and closed in 1951. This map also shows that Alfred Road was originally below the building in question, but is now above it. Our problem is to try and find pictures of the outside of the original building as we would like to restore the building as original as possible. Pictures of the inside we have found on Picture Sheffield. Work is now starting on the renovation and therefore time is quite short. Many thanks and we look forward to hearing from you and whether anyone can help us.

Brenda Wilson

PA to Hugh Facey

Gripple Ltd

[dunsbyowl1867]

JohnM may be able to remember!

ESC

[johnm]

JohnM may be able to remember!

ESC

The West Machine Shop was I think its official name - those of us who worked at ESC called it "The Hawke Street Planer" because it was on Hawke St & the machines in it were I think mainly large planing machines.

I attach a section of a Geographia map from about 1950 which shows the West Machine Shop outlined as a roughly rectangular block adjacent to Hawke Street.

I guess the only organisation which may have any photos in its archive is Sheffield Forgemasters.

John

PS I also remember a large shed type building ( also shown on the map) which extended from Hawke Street for some distance along Alfred Rd . Despite being a works guide I can't recall clearly what went on inside . However my memory is of a relatively modern building ( probably built post-war) the lower part of the walls were brick with opaque glazing above to roof level. My vague memory is of steel coils being inside but could be wrong

[Guest dave d]

The West Machine Shop was I think its official name - those of us who worked at ESC called it "The Hawke Street Planer" because it was on Hawke St & the machines in it were I think mainly large planing machines.

I attach a section of a Geographia map from about 1950 which shows the West Machine Shop outlined as a roughly rectangular block adjacent to Hawke Street.

I guess the only organisation which may have any photos in its archive is Sheffield Forgemasters.

John

PS I also remember a large shed type building ( also shown on the map) which extended from Hawke Street for some distance along Alfred Rd . Despite being a works guide I can't recall clearly what went on inside . However my memory is of a relatively modern building ( probably built post-war) the lower part of the walls were brick with opaque glazing above to roof level. My vague memory is of steel coils being inside but could be wrong

Hi just joined the forum so hence the the late comment on the west machine shop I worked for ESC after completing apprentice training in the training shop worked in the west m/c gallery which produce tools for the machines downstairs,then moved to the m/c shop as a turner,the hawke st planer shop stood opposite the west m/c shop extending to the river.The newer building running along side the west m/c shop built in the 60s was officially called

brightside lane m/c shop but known as the NEW MACHINE SHOP.

[popt]

Hi just joined the forum so hence the the late comment on the west machine shop I worked for ESC after completing apprentice training in the training shop worked in the west m/c gallery which produce tools for the machines downstairs,then moved to the m/c shop as a turner,the hawke st planer shop stood opposite the west m/c shop extending to the river.The newer building running along side the west m/c shop built in the 60s was officially called

brightside lane m/c shop but known as the NEW MACHINE SHOP.

I can confirm the West M/c Shop was an old brick building which was situated on the right hand side of the road which you entered the Hawke Street Gate of the works.

The first part of the building housed the security guards office and then the next section was the Test House then a m/c tool store and then the long West M/c Shop.

At the other end of the building was an annexed old building which was the Joiners Workshop.

There were some early black and white photographs produced for a book of the Old West Shop.

It would be good to see copies of these again. PopT

PS Did you mean you worked in the East Shop Gallery which was above the East M/c Shop opposite the Power Staion near the river?

[rover1949]

Late pick up on this thread but I worked at ESC 1966-71 in the maintenance department, so I got to know the layout quite well.

The map posted confused me at first until I realised it should be rotated 90 deg clockwise to make sense.

I think the tall building off Alfred Road was the old Gun Shop, where naval guns were made vertically. That in itself is a fascinating story.

I also worked on the old River Don engine when it was still driving a plate mill.

Is there a separate thread anywhere on these topics?

[Unitedite Returns]

On ‎23‎/‎03‎/‎2010 at 20:24, Stuart0742 said:

We think it may have belonged to the English Steel Corporation and was once their West Machine Shop - it once extended from the boundary on Hawke Street back as far as Don Road, but around 1993 the front end was demolished and the whole building reclad in blue and re-roofed. The building is not shown on the OS map from 1905 - around that area was all housing at that time with a pub on the corner called the River Don Inn which opened in 1857 and closed in 1951. This map also shows that Alfred Road was originally below the building in question, but is now above it. Our problem is to try and find pictures of the outside of the original building as we would like to restore the building as original as possible. Pictures of the inside we have found on Picture Sheffield. Work is now starting on the renovation and therefore time is quite short. Many thanks and we look forward to hearing from you and whether anyone can help us.

Not a brilliant view of the building that I think that you are enquiring about, but I suspect that the attached image, taken along Brightside Lane, and looking in the direction of Hawke Street may show at least one elevation of the structure. Taken from the junction of what used to be Don Road and Windmill Street, which, along with much of the residential property along Alfred Road, and adjoining streets, had been demolished by then. Hope that it helps. If so, let me know.