Wessex Archaeology recently undertook another open day at the former Titanic Works in Sheffield as part of this year’s Heritage Open Days, providing the chance to explore a once commonplace and important part of Sheffield’s industrial past. This was a great day, where again, the tours were fully booked, and the public’s enthusiasm really shone through.
The site is located in an area of Sheffield established as a steel manufacturing centre prior to 1850, with the principal surviving buildings of the former Titanic Works dating to that period. The extant building includes a nationally rare crucible furnace with two end stacks. The former works is a Grade II listed building and during the redevelopment of the site in 2008, two previously unknown crucible cellars were unearthed, adding to the known cellar beneath the listed structure.
The works was occupied by a series of steel and file manufacturers in the 19th and 20th centuries. By 1876, the works was occupied by William Mickelthwaite and Co, steel manufacturers, and was listed as the ‘Titanic Works ’.
The next tours of the former works will now be next year, kicking off in April/May 2018 – details to follow in 2018.
Lucy Dawson, Project manager