Brymbo Steelworks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Brymbo Steel Works

Part of the works in April 1962
Built	1796
Location	Brymbo
Industry	Steel mill
Products	Steel
Defunct	1990

The Brymbo Steel Works was a huge factory that made steel in the village of Brymbo, near Wrexham, Wales. It was open for a very long time, from 1796 until 1990. The factory was special because of the person who started it. You can still see one of his original furnaces there today!

The Story of Brymbo Steel Works

How It Started: John Wilkinson's Ironworks

The Brymbo Steel Works was founded by a famous industrialist named John 'Iron Mad' Wilkinson. He was known for his work with iron. In 1792, John Wilkinson bought a large area of land called Brymbo Hall estate. This land was perfect because it had lots of coal and iron ore, which are needed to make iron.

By 1796, Wilkinson had built the first big furnace, called a blast furnace, on the site. In its first year, this furnace made 884 tons of iron! This first furnace, known as "No. 1," worked almost non-stop until 1894. Later, it was used for other things, like holding sand. A second furnace started making iron in 1805.

A freight train with the steelworks' Melting Shop in the background, 1962

After John Wilkinson passed away, there was a big disagreement over who would inherit his factory. Because of these legal battles, the ironworks stopped working for several years. People tried to get it running again, but it was difficult.

Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds Takes Over

The factory faced tough times and went out of business in 1931 during a period called the Great Depression. But a man named Sir Henry Beyer Robertson saved it! He started a new company and hired smart people to run the factory. They even got a great deal to supply special steel for Rolls-Royce Limited aero engines, which are used in airplanes.

In 1948, the company changed its name again and became part of a bigger group called GKN. From 1956 onwards, the Brymbo works grew much larger. New electric furnaces were built on a hill made from old factory waste. In the early 1970s, the factory expanded even more, adding a huge, modern machine called a rolling mill.

In 1967, the government took over the steel industry, and Brymbo became part of the British Steel Corporation. By 1978, the steelworks stopped using its old blast furnace. Instead, it focused on making high-quality steel from recycled scrap metal.

The factory had its own railway lines to bring in materials and send out steel. It also worked with other local industries, like coal mines and a brickworks that made special "firebricks" until 1975.

Steel production at Brymbo continued until 1990. The owners at that time, United Engineering Steels, decided to close the factory. This meant that 1,100 people lost their jobs.

What's There Today?

The land where the steelworks once stood has now been developed. Many new houses have been built there. There are plans to keep two important original buildings: the old Machine Shop and the No. 1 blast furnace.

A view of a small part of the old steelworks site. In the middle, you can see Wilkinson's original No. 1 blast furnace, which was later used to hold sand. The flat area in the distance was where the main melting shop used to be.

A new main road was recently built to connect the village of Brymbo to the new houses on the old steelworks site. This road opened in June 2020. It will help with plans for even more development, like a new school, shops, and businesses.

Sports Team

The Brymbo Steelworks also had its own football team! They were quite good and won many local leagues.

Images for kids

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  The steelworks in 1990