The year is 1863. Imagine the ear-splitting screech of steam whistles as a fiery beast awakens near Ulverston – the North Lonsdale Iron & Steel Company, or the Ulverston Ironworks as the locals called it. For over 70 years, this iron giant rumbled, its furnaces roaring against the night sky, casting an orange glow over the town, painting the faces of the townsfolk in flickering firelight. Can you imagine the deafening clang of hammers and the scorching heat emanating from those furnaces, day and night? The air, thick with the smell of coal smoke and burnt iron, hangs heavy over the town.
Trains clattered and carts rumbled, bringing in raw materials like iron ore and limestone from nearby quarries, and hauling away heavy iron ingots – the lifeblood of the Industrial Revolution. These ingots would be used to build everything from railway lines and ships to bridges and buildings across the country. The ironworks itself was a whirlwind of activity, with hammers clanging, sparks flying, and men toiling in a symphony of industry. The ground vibrates beneath your feet as the massive steam-powered hammers pound the glowing metal. Sparks
shower down like fiery rain, illuminating the grimy faces of the workers. What do you think a typical day was like for a worker at the Ironworks, surrounded by the constant din and the oppressive heat?
One question always tickled folks’ ears – why call it steel if it never made steel? Maybe they dreamt big, with plans for steel production that never quite panned out. Perhaps it was a marketing trick, a way to sound modern and innovative in the early days of steel’s rise. The truth, like whispers on the wind, might be lost to history.
Whatever the reason, the “Steel” in the name remains a bit of an industrial puzzle. But that just adds to the intriguing story of the Ulverston Ironworks, a fiery giant forever etched in Furness history. What do you think, Furness Whisper followers? Why do you suppose they kept “steel” in the name?
Call to Action:
The clang of the ironworks hammers became the soundtrack to life for generations of Ulverston families. Do any of our Furness Whisper followers have relatives who toiled away at the Ironworks? The site of the Ironworks might be gone, but are there any hidden remnants left behind? Let’s see some photos if you’ve stumbled upon any!
Want to share your thoughts or stories about the Ulverston Ironworks?
Get in touch via our contact page or email us at info@furness-whisper.uk. We’d love to hear from you!
Here’s what some of our Facebook followers had to say:
Kay Thornton: My Grandad (Step) Jack Morgan worked there. I have an amazing post created by his fellow workers for when he got married to my Nana. I was only little when he died, but his pet name for me was pigeon.
Katie Dickinson1: My great, great grandfather and great grandfather were both managers of Ulverston Iron and Steel Works (EG Tosh and EL Tosh) & I’m looking at an 1880s watercolour of the works as I type.
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