Hadfields Steel Works

[MalcyB 10]

hadfields east hecla was at Vulcan road hecla was at newhall road the entrance was just before the river don and ran through to Stevenson road it hardened forged steel rolls I worked at hecla works until it closed in 1978. Tiny Roland owned it then and sold out to firth browns which is now Sheffield forgemasters I am still there now

Eric

 

I worked at Hecla. I was also transfered to Forgemasters when it shut.

What is your name?

[Mauz 10]

My name is Eric Ogden retired from forgemasters last year

[MalcyB 10]

Hi Eric. Where about did you work at Hecla? I was on one of the roll finish grinders. Opposite Eric Betts.

 

Malc

[Stringfella 10]

You might remember me chaps.

[MalcyB 10]

HI Stringfella.

What's your name?

[CathK 10]

What very few people realise is that Hatfield’s East works also made such things as large telescopes for space research as well as the electronics packages for space research rockets and satellites. There were a few name changes and acquisitions along the way from Dunford and Elliot to Dunford Hadfield’s. Dunford and Elliot were also responsible for the control system for the original Jodrell Bank telescope way back in about 1952.

Yes, Hadfields merged with Dunford Elliot 1967 and then acquired Brown Bayleys in 1973. Hadfields also made Rolls Royce Engines for Spitfires and scalpel handles for Swann Morton. My mum worked at Hadfields in the 1950s. Kelham Island Industrial Museum, Sheffield, have an archive of Hadfields/Brown Bayley documents and photos/albums collected since the 1930s and earlier until the 1980s. These include site photos and developments, staff portraits, recreational events and Galas, promotional/advertising photos, Royal & VIP visits, metallurgical testing etc. Grace's Guide online has more info.

 

---------- Post added 22-09-2017 at 11:18 ----------

 

Hadfields East Hecla Works was on Vulcan Road, Sheffield, where Meadowhall Centre is. Hadfields merged with Dunford Elliot in 1967 and then acquired Brown Bayleys in 1973. Kelham Island Industrial Museum, Sheffield, have an archive of Hadfields/Brown Bayley documents and photos/albums collected since the 1930s and earlier until the 1980s. These include site photos and developments, staff portraits, recreational events and Galas, promotional/advertising photos, Royal & VIP visits, metallurgical testing etc. Grace's Guide online has more info. My mum (Eileen Mullins) worked for Hadfields in the 1950s for Charles Lewis & Norman Walker. Does anyone recall these names?....

[Ontarian1981 10]

Yes, Hadfields merged with Dunford Elliot 1967 and then acquired Brown Bayleys in 1973. Hadfields also made Rolls Royce Engines for Spitfires and scalpel handles for Swann Morton. My mum worked at Hadfields in the 1950s. Kelham Island Industrial Museum, Sheffield, have an archive of Hadfields/Brown Bayley documents and photos/albums collected since the 1930s and earlier until the 1980s. These include site photos and developments, staff portraits, recreational events and Galas, promotional/advertising photos, Royal & VIP visits, metallurgical testing etc. Grace's Guide online has more info.

 

---------- Post added 22-09-2017 at 11:18 ----------

 

Hadfields East Hecla Works was on Vulcan Road, Sheffield, where Meadowhall Centre is. Hadfields merged with Dunford Elliot in 1967 and then acquired Brown Bayleys in 1973. Kelham Island Industrial Museum, Sheffield, have an archive of Hadfields/Brown Bayley documents and photos/albums collected since the 1930s and earlier until the 1980s. These include site photos and developments, staff portraits, recreational events and Galas, promotional/advertising photos, Royal & VIP visits, metallurgical testing etc. Grace's Guide online has more info. My mum (Eileen Mullins) worked for Hadfields in the 1950s for Charles Lewis & Norman Walker. Does anyone recall these names?....

Only part of Hadfields merged with Dunford &Elliot in 1967, about 35% went to Osborn's and became known as Osborn-Hadfieds, including the foundry and all casting related buildings like the fettling and pattern shops, shell moulding . Also two machine shops (2 and 4), a bucket shop and lots of other services. They did share the main entrance, works maintenance and canteens etc. Don't know anything about the Brown Bayley thing in 1973, I had long gone by then.

[X hadfield worker 0]

Hadefields main gate was at the end of Vulcan rd,because I work there as a loco driver for 8 years and I had the blue print but I have lose it, but I can help you I will try.

 

[X hadfield worker 0]

I worked at hadfield off Vulcan rd  as a loco driver for 8 year I did have the blue print but I have lost it, but I know a lot about this firm , if I can help I will . graham09081949@gmail.com

 

[CF8M 11]

I'm quite surprised at the lack of information about Hadfields an the area that the site used to be in. Given that the amount of people that worked there I would have thought there was more interest.

I never worked at Hadfields, but a lot of my colleagues did and one of them, Rod Green, was Melting Shop Manager.  I worked at Edgar Allens  on the other side of Vulcan Road.

As I recall Vulcan Road ran from Weedon Street in a big arc and ended at Sheffield Road just below the Tinsley rail and canal Bridge. On the northern side and north west was Hadfields, where the main site of Meadowhall is now and on the other side and across Sheffield road as far as the old railway line was located that was the site of Edgars, now mostly the shopping centre car park!  

When I worked there a lot of buses, the works specials, ran along Vulcan Road at shift change times. That's how busy things were in those times.

The orange fumes were the effects of Oxygen lancing in the arc furnaces to make steel, in the days before strict pollution controls. Mostly iron oxide, but there were also other metals that were a bit of a "problem" if you got a lung full of it!

Sort of going further back towards Wincobank and that area was Shardlows and Arthur Lees operations and of course the other way was River Don Works and Firth Browns and Jessop Saville.

The great names in Sheffield Steelmaking history!

 

[X hadfield worker 0]

Hi there. I am a x hadfield steel worker please contact me.

[bolsover 10]

Hi I started working for Dunford Elliott in 1966 and was there until they moved to Vulcan Rd in 1980, I was a foreman at Dunford Elliotts on Chippingham st and was in fact one of the last to move . I headed a team of men to run down various orders at Chip st before we moved entirely. I loved working at Dunford Elliotts and although I was at Hadfields until they closed down it was never quite as enjoyable as previously had been. I was in charge of the bar finishing when we moved to Vulcan Rd and had to endure picket lines to keep working . Enjoyable times