Wortley railway station was a railway station on the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway lying between Deepcar and Penistone. It was built to serve the village of Wortley, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England. Wortley Hall, near the village, was the home of the Earl of Wharncliffe, long time associated with railway development in the area.
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Wortley Top Forge is an historic former finery forge and ironworks originally dating back to the seventeenth century, although evidence suggests iron working took place in the vicinity as early as the fourteenth century. It is situated in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley, in South Yorkshire, England, on a loop of the River Don near both the villages of Thurgoland and Wortley.
The Top Forge was always closely related to Wortley Low Forge, a short distance downstream. One of the forges was probably built about 1639 and certainly existed by 1641, from which time the ironmasters at Wortley were Thomas Cotton, and his son William Cotton; the latter being the father of Thomas Cotton. Cannonballs are said to have been made here during the English Civil War. After that the finery forges usually belonged to a network of ironmasters led by members of the Spencer family of Cannon Hall, Cawthorne, but not between 1676 and 1690, when they were rented by other ironmasters. The two forges were always leased together with a blast furnace, Nether Bank Furnace, until the latter's closure probably about 1780, all of them being rented from the Wortley family.
In 1744, the forge was let to John Cockshutt, who ran it with a partner. He also had a 'tinmill'. He was followed by his son, another John, who was succeeded by his brother James about 1800. James had worked at Merthyr Tydfil as a partner of William Crawshay in the Cyfarthfa Ironworks and when he returned to Wortley in 1791 after the dissolution of their partnership, he introduced puddling to Wortley, the tinmill probably being altered to roll blooms into bars of iron. After James' death in 1820, the works passed to relatives and then through various hands, coming into the hands of Thomas Andrews in 1849. On his death in 1871 he was followed by his son another Thomas Andrews, who died in 1907.
One of the buildings at Top Forge includes a date stone for 1713. However, the current layout of the building dates from the 1850s when the forge was turned over to the production of shafts and axles mainly for use on railway wagons. Some of the earliest metallurgical experiments in the world were conducted at the site by the engineer and metallurgist Thomas Andrews. Railway axles of the highest quality were manufactured at the site in the nineteenth century and exported all over the world.
Production ceased around 1912, but parts of the site remained in use until 1929. One of the Top Forge hammers was run as a demonstration in 1933 or 1934. In 1955, the dream of C. R. Andrews was fulfilled, the forge being reopened as an industrial museum by Sheffield Trades Historical Society. From the mid-1960s the Honorary Curator of the forge for over 40 years was Ken Hawley, who was the driving force behind a team of volunteer workers who preserved and restored the forge into its present condition – work that was recognised when he was appointed MBE in 1998.
Of particular interest is that the site only ever used waterwheels to power the machinery. All three waterwheels have been restored to working order. Its buildings are used to house a variety of industrial machinery, including a Marshall twin-cylinder steam engine.
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Wortley is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England. At the 2001 census it had a population of 579, increasing to 626 at the 2011 Census. Wortley is mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book as Wirtleie.
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Thurgoland railway station was a small railway station built by the Sheffield, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Manchester Railway to serve the village of Thurgoland, South Yorkshire, England and opened on 5 December 1845. Due to cost-cutting measures involving staff and infrastructure the station was closed, along with Dukinfield Dog Lane, Hazelhead and Oxspring on 1 November 1847, making this one of the shortest-lived stations anywhere, with a life span of just one year and 11 months.
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The Little Don River also known as the Porter, is a tributary of the River Don in South Yorkshire, England. Arising on the Langsett Moors in the northern Peak District, the Little Don River feeds the Langsett and Underbank Reservoirs. It runs through the town of Stocksbridge before joining the River Don.
A 2.7-acre section of the river has been designated as a site of special scientific interest since 1977. The site is of considerable importance as it is a proposed reference example for various subdivisions of the Carboniferous. It is one of 35 sites of special scientific interest in South Yorkshire.
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Wortley Hall is a former stately home in the small village of Wortley, located south of Barnsley, Yorkshire. It has been owned by individuals and organisations associated with British trade unions and the wider labour movement since 1951. It operates as a non-profit co-operative and is registered under the 2014 Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act.
The Grade II* listed building was built from 1731 to 1761 on the site of the previous hall, and is constructed of sandstone ashlar with graduated slate roofs to an irregular floor plan, mostly in two storeys with a seven-bay south front. The hall has formal gardens and is encircled by approximately 26 acres of ancient grounds and woodlands that are Grade II listed.
The society is currently used by several trade unions and other organisations as a venue for residential training courses and other meetings. The house and grounds are open to visitors, can be booked by the public for social gatherings, and is a licensed venue for weddings. Yearly highlights include the South Yorkshire Festival and the Vintage Car Show, which attract over 2000 visitors.
Shareholders elect a management board, composed of twelve volunteers, at the Annual General Meeting. The board appoint the General Manager who oversees the day-to-day running of the Hall. The current General Manager is Johnathan da Rosa, the President is Brian Steele, the Political Secretary is Michael Bailey, and the two Vice Presidents are Kath Sims and Jess Whyke.
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The station was similar to the others which opened with the line, with flanking platforms, slightly askew and linked by a footbridge, and a main, stone-built structure with canopy, on the Sheffield-bound platform. Because of its proximity to Wortley Hall the station had a private waiting room for the use of the Earl of Wharncliffe, his family and visitors. The station, opened on 14 July 1845, was closed on 2 May 1955.
References
Dow, George. "Great Central Volume One" (The Progenitors 1813 – 1865)