Kelham Island Museum facts for kids
The Kelham Island Museum is a cool place in Sheffield, England, where you can learn about the city's amazing industrial past. It's located right next to the River Don on Alma Street and first opened its doors in 1982.
The Island's Story
The land where the museum stands isn't natural! It's a man-made island. It was created way back in the 1100s when people dug a special channel, called a mill race, to move water from the River Don. This water powered a corn mill, which ground grain into flour.
Later, in 1829, a big iron factory called John Crowley's Iron Foundry was built on the island. This factory worked for many years. In 1864, a huge event called the Great Sheffield Flood happened when the Dale Dyke Dam broke. Water rushed through the area, damaging the workshops on the island.
After the iron factory closed in the 1890s, a power station was built there in 1899. This station made electricity for Sheffield's new trams. The power station ran until the 1930s, and then the building was used for storage. Today, these old buildings are home to the museum!
What You'll See Inside
The museum is packed with awesome exhibits about science and Sheffield's industries. You can see recreated workshops of "little mesters," who were skilled craftspeople working from small workshops.
One of the biggest and most important things to see is England's largest surviving Bessemer converter. This giant machine was used to turn iron into steel. It's so important that it even won an award in 2004!
The museum also gives tours to schools and often shows off the amazing 1905 River Don Engine. This huge steam engine has 12,000 horsepower! It used to power a factory that made strong steel plates. What's really cool about this engine is how fast it can change direction. This was super important for rolling heavy steel efficiently. The engine even helped roll steel for nuclear reactors before it stopped working in 1978.
You can also see a very special car called the prototype Sheffield-Simplex. It's one of only three left in the world! In 1913, a newspaper called The Times said it was "one of the best and most remarkable vehicles available."
Don't miss the Benjamin Huntsman Clock in the Enid Hattersley Gallery. This clock was the first object ever made using Crucible Cast Steel, a super strong type of steel. The museum also has tons of old photos that authors use for history books.
From 2009 until he passed away in 2021, a famous "little mester" named Stan Shaw had his workshop at the museum. He would even show visitors how he made knives!
Dealing with Floods
The museum faced a big challenge in July 2007 when the Sheffield flood hit. Water more than a meter deep flooded the site, causing about £1.5 million in damage! Some valuable paintings were also damaged.
The museum had to close for 18 months but reopened in September 2008. It even received an award for how well it recovered from the flood. To prevent future problems, new flood defenses were built around the museum, and they were finished in December 2011.
See also
- Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet - An old factory complex with historic buildings
- Ken Hawley
- Shepherd Wheel
