Exploring The Abandoned Staveley Works And Lost Railways

On this video we are in Chesterfield, Derbyshire and part of the site of the old Staveley Works. Derelict former industrial sites are commonplace around this area. No better example than here where we have in a short space - miles of lost railways that resemble spaghetti, collieries, coke plants, chemical works and various plants.
Here was the site of the former Staveley Coal and Iron Company. Mining and production in some degree has been at this site for many centuries, but was accelerated upon the arrival of the Chesterfield Canal in the 1770s. And later the railways.
An area still rich with history. We see the clock tower of the old works offices. The Staveley Works Shed is now a visitors attraction for railway enthusiasts - Barrow Hill Roundhouse. As well as a restored section of the Chesterfield Canal. We start by having a look at the north side of the site. Formerley line after line of railway sidings north of the River Rother. Today the blue brick pillars of a former footbridge remain.
We cross the bridge over the Rother into the main part of the old works site and see examples of tracks from internal railways still in the vast concrete expanse. There is also the red brick fan shaft from the Old Hollingwood Colliery. Fenced off but daunting by it's scale and depth.
Im unsure of the year of closure of this site, but old ariel photos show instrial activity well into the 21st century. Just over the road was the Devonshire Works, where chemical production lasted until 2012.
***Barrow Hill Roundhouse - • Day out at Barrow Hill...
*** GCR Chesterfield Loop Disused Railway and Staveley Works Station - • The Chesterfield Loop ...
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[@BrockwellLanemodelrailway]

Us at the Chesterfield Railway Modellers have our club room in the clocktower. If I'd known you were about I would have invited you in for a look at our Hasland layout. Great video as usual.

[@WobblyRunner]

Ah nice one!!! Im regularly in Staveley. Would be great to have a gander.

[@robinkey4499]

The UK was the world's best-making steel, working 7 days a week. The accident was a regular. Iron Lady said no more steel made at this plant 200 jobs are gone thank you for showing me what is left

[@stevie8763]

Sad to see it all has gone, however steel was never made at this plant. Iron and chemicals derived from coal were produced.

[@paulcharlton4788]

They’ve used part of the site for overflow parking when they’ve had events at Barrow Hill Roundhouse. That bridge is a military type Bailey Bridge.

[@johnjephcote7636]

I recall being on a Special headed by an 'Eight Freight' and we were backed right into the steelworks.

[@WobblyRunner]

Out of interest, was that from the old GCR or Midland John? Either way an almost unique experience.

[@ianrichardson8865]

I did some work here back in the1980s (?) when working as a consultant for a Swiss company. At that time there was a cupola producing iron, a shaking ladle for desulphurising the iron, a magnesium treatment vessel (to make S.G., or ductile iron) and a foundry producing manhole covers and pipe fittings. We had an office in the clock tower building. Coincidentally, I also did some work at Bryan Donkin in Chesterfield. Strange to see that it's all gone.

[@WobblyRunner]

Cheers Ian. Great info. That's just jogged my memory of something. A manhole cover with a Staveley stamp in the middle of nowhere deep in Snowdonia.

[@ianrichardson8865]

Stanton & Staveley were once probably the biggest producers of manholes and spun iron pipes. Latterly they were part of the French group Pont a Mousson, who still exist and dominate the world market for spun iron pipes.

[@emmajacobs5575]

⁠@@ianrichardson8865one of the guys I worked with was formerly with GKN Sheepbridge and he said they referred to their competitor as Pont a Mouton.

[@scottc1589]

I like John's suggestion that it's like a model railroad, being so crammed together. In fact, I think it would make a great compact layout, with lots of shunting possibilities.

[@WobblyRunner]

That's a great idea Scott!!

[@wideyxyz2271]

That Bailey bridge was probably made By Thomas Storey of Stockport. Famous for their Bailey bridges.

[@WobblyRunner]

Forgive me. Which one was the Bailey bridge? Was that the old footbridge or the bridge over the river?

[@WobblyRunner]

Got it. Bailey bridge over the Rother :)

[@Nelg230]

Knew straight away that was a Bailey bridge.

[@Carolb66]

Hard to say river Rother! It runs about a mile from my house! Staveley what a huge part of our industtial heritage all road into one huge site. When you see the old maps & you see the spaghetti lines you cant beleive all those rail lines & industry around it was there. But still enough remnants left to explore & put together a fab video of the great Staveley works. Cheers Paul & John ! 😊❤👍

[@WobblyRunner]

Thanks Carol. A fascinating site. Sometimes I'd love to hop in a time machine and have a look around when it was in its heyday.

[@Carolb66]

@@WobblyRunner yes wouldn't that be great! 🥰

[@martinbarker5045]

My dad worked there for many years as a maintenance fitter. He was gassed twice and was burned by acid. Later he was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer. Quite a few had the same disease. It eventually took his life.. Makes you think.

[@WobblyRunner]

Sorry to hear that Martin.

[@paulcharlton4788]

Brian Donkin Valves - huge factory in Chesterfield, opposite the cinema on a Horns Bridge.

[@WobblyRunner]

👍 i recognise the name from doing the bits off the Brampton Branch in Chesterfield. Ironically the day I bumped into you Paul 😄

[@paulcharlton4788]

@@WobblyRunner a memorable day 😀

[@julianchambers8372]

Yes mate, I used to work there.

[@chrischapman7514]

Great one loads of lines was a busy place one time great video Paul.What an industry we had one time of the day love them blue bricks lots of history.

[@WobblyRunner]

Cheers Chris. It's hard to believe it's the same place, isn't it.

[@peebee143]

Last time I was up that way I was on a railtour, The 'Pye Bridge Pieman'. We did a tour of the live sections of Toton Depot, we went onward and up the branch toward the Staveley works with 56312, trailing was a class 60. The branch was so infested with various flora (there was a fear that some rail sections may have been robbed) and progress up the branch was very slow. We got as far as the old gates from the branch onto the site. Later I found that one of the guys who worked for a different company was the travelling fitter aboard 56312. He was the one stepping off, dragging obstacles off the track and checking existence of the track ahead as we progressed. He told me if he had known I was aboard I could have travelled with him in the front cab and assisted in the tight guidance along the branch! Hey, you live and learn!

[@DYLINGTONMODELRAILWAY]

Great video again, very near to us, and my dad used to work there ... Cheers James 🙂👍

[@WobblyRunner]

Cheers James

[@petedudley9377]

The tracks were from the main line onto Staveley works stock ground , from when products were sent out by rail from the works .

[@petedudley9377]

the other rails you found are internal railway tracks from the works railway traffic.

[@g8ymw]

I worked on the Chemicals side from 1975 until 1996 3:00 is the Chemicals offices, this end upstairs was the main labs The big shed at the back right side of the picture (with the round vent on the end) was the Gas Engine House which generated electric at 30 cycles That electricity powered the site and parts of Hollingwood. When I arrived, it was being used as a frequency changer (Mains electric moters 50 cycles/ Hertz) driving the 30Hz generators to power the machines in the Metalspun Foundry

[@WobblyRunner]

Great to hear from you. Thanks for the information. 🙂👍

[@stevenstopford9847]

Brilliant video many thanks 👍🏻

[@WobblyRunner]

Cheers Ste 👍

[@paulkandi]

In the 60s the sidings were used to dump ex LMS / BR condemned steam locos, overspill from Derby works, en route to Looms of Spondon and Chesterfield for scrapping...

[@davehanson7764]

Great video, when I stay in Chesterfield I oftern spend a bit of time mooching round the old site , my Dad and Brother both worked there back in the 80's , that's when Chesterfield was a busy prosperous town ....sadly not so more now .....by the way I would imagine because of the site's former usage it would be forbidden to build houses on the site for fear of contamination

[@simonholliday9874]

That said, they decontaminated Markham's, Chesterfield Tube Works and the Avenue coking plant to build houses and flats in Chesterfield.

[@WobblyRunner]

It will be interesting to see what the site is in 20 years

[@maestromanification]

Interesting video Paul. It's a very eerie site. As said above I was wondering if its contaminated land but Avenue was massively contaminated and now housing. I see even in there you managed to find concrete sleepers 😅 Unusual to find an open shaft round there most collieries got capped

[@WobblyRunner]

Cheers Russ. Yeah I cant find out why it's still open. It looks to have been disused for a very long time and some later works stuff built around it. Very intruiging. I'd guess Bolsover coalite was just as, if not more contaminated and stuff is going up on there too.

[@marilynbalderstone696]

What an amazingly interesting slice of industrial archaeology you discovered. It really is good thing to record the as much of the past as possible as I’m sure this site will have completely disappeared in 20 years. . One thing please when you show the maps could you pause a little longer so I can work out where you are and get my side to side map up on my iPad while trying to follow you on my tv screen. Could you tell me which main road you entered the site from please? Thankyou.

[@WobblyRunner]

Hi Marilyn. I'll take on board about the maps :). We entered from Works Road. There are easy and open ways in a few spots and neighbouring footpaths, but the easist I think is just by the Hollingwood Hub on Chesterfield Canal.

[@eggy77]

Excellent video once again, I've explored the area on the bike but need to go back on foot to take it in better. I'm guessing most of those rails were to transfer tubs of components between different areas and workshops on the site. Many thanks for the mention of mum, wasn't expecting that at all 😊 shame she never got to watch our last video.

[@eggy77]

Exploded 😂😂😂 just want to confirm I've not exploded at all 😂

[@eggy77]

Corrected it now 😉

[@WobblyRunner]

You're welcome Paul. The least I could do.

[@WobblyRunner]

😄 exploded

[@sugarbertie1143]

The first bridge abutments you came to was known as the 'Danger Bridge' because it had the word 'danger' on it and was a low bridge. It was on Works Road and was the internal rail link between the two sides of the works , Devonshire Works and New Works. My Dads family lived 1/4 mile from it in Hollingwood. It used to flood there a lot in heavy rain. The works site was huge and there was a good view of all of it from the A619 road at 'the Mount' coming into Staveley from the Troughbook end. The footbridge steps you came across are the remains of the footbridge over the link from Barrow Hill Jcn into the Works. I used to train spot on it as it was a great view of the main line. Often a diesel shunter would shunt the odd wagons into the works but it was mainly used for stabling old internal wagons in later years. Happy days!!

[@WobblyRunner]

Great info. Thanks for commenting. I was looking at an old photo with the danger bridge in it earlier and I couldn't place where it was. Mystery solved! 👍😊

[@sugarbertie1143]

@@WobblyRunner If there are any other mysteries, I might be able to help!! Dont know what those holes were though!! I did have a ride round the old stockyard though on a loco when it was still operational. Fascinating place full of old wagons, ancient stuff and the like. Wish I'd taken photos!

[@jontaylor1652]

Great stuff again, thanks. You and John work well together, it's good to have a second opinion on stuff.

[@WobblyRunner]

Cheers Jon. He's good company.

[@garyh8315]

Concrete and cement can cover lots of errors made by our fore fathers. Not necessarily through ingnorance, but through lack of knowledge of the affects. Most likely a reason behind the land not being used for anything. I cant believe that there is an open shaft. The HSE would have a field day..... if the dare enter the grounds!!

[@Nelg230]

You beat me to the comment about being allowed to build houses on farming land around Chesterfield. Is this land contaminated or would cost far more too much to clear?

[@WobblyRunner]

I guess you've hit the nail on the head. Far cheaper to build on an empty field. I'd love to know what will happen to this site. Plenty of stories online about housing, but doesnt seem a new thing and nothing seems to be happening.

[@johngreen-sk4yk]

The entire site, including the old chemical works must have a hundred years worth of contaminated material under it . The footpath through the old chemicals plant usually has some of the biggest blackberries I've ever seen growing along it , but I'm not sure I would dare to eat one 🤢! lol

[@WobblyRunner]

@johngreen-sk4yk Wise :D

[@Nelg230]

@@johngreen-sk4yk I live near the Avenue Country Park near Wingerworth formerly a coking works for nearly forty years had produced coal and gas and processed tar and sulphuric acid. By the end of its life, 1992, the site was a mess of leaky tanks, pipelines, waste tips, lagoons filled with tar and soil poisoned with cyanide and arsenic. Cost millions to clean up but can be done and the blackberries are great!

[@ChrisHawkes-ss7fo]

Contact me if you want more detail and info about the Staveley Foundry site.

[@Life_Of_AL]

Are those rails in the concrete wasteland from a crane gantry?

[@WobblyRunner]

I think that's a possibility 👍