During the recession of the the early 1930s, Trade tariffs were put on imports of wire to the UK, In response Belgian wiremaker, Trefileries Leon Bekaert needed to set up a UK factory to produce wire.
Bekaert setup production in association with Templeborough Rolling Mills Ltd, a local supplier of wire rods and in 1933 it joined with British Ropes Ltd and the United Steel Companies Ltd in forming Tinsley Wire Industries Ltd with a factory at Tinsley on Sheffield Road.
Production steadily increased and in 1973 Tinsley Wire Industries were the third largest wire producer in the UK with an emphasis on high quality Galvanised wires for Steel Wire Fencing, Including barbed wire and welded panels. In the same year the company acquired another UK factory called Rylands from British Steel who were in the process of restructuring. In 1976 a new parent company was formed co owned by Bekaert, British Steel and Bridon wire.
TWI went on to become Betafence, a Belgian owned global fence maker and the Tinsly wire name dropped from the records.Betafence closed the wire drawing and galvanising works in 2006, When the works closed Wire drawing equipment from the Sheffield Road site was be moved to the companys other Tinsley Factory on Shepcote Lane, where it still feeds equipment manufacturing fencing, barbed wire and welded mesh though with reduced capacity and a greatly reduced workforce.
The whole site is a decent size, much of the Drawing / Galvanising / Welding lines remained in place offering lots of stuff to see. I have tried to include lots of photos as it was a big place.
Bekaert setup production in association with Templeborough Rolling Mills Ltd, a local supplier of wire rods and in 1933 it joined with British Ropes Ltd and the United Steel Companies Ltd in forming Tinsley Wire Industries Ltd with a factory at Tinsley on Sheffield Road.
Production steadily increased and in 1973 Tinsley Wire Industries were the third largest wire producer in the UK with an emphasis on high quality Galvanised wires for Steel Wire Fencing, Including barbed wire and welded panels. In the same year the company acquired another UK factory called Rylands from British Steel who were in the process of restructuring. In 1976 a new parent company was formed co owned by Bekaert, British Steel and Bridon wire.
TWI went on to become Betafence, a Belgian owned global fence maker and the Tinsly wire name dropped from the records.Betafence closed the wire drawing and galvanising works in 2006, When the works closed Wire drawing equipment from the Sheffield Road site was be moved to the companys other Tinsley Factory on Shepcote Lane, where it still feeds equipment manufacturing fencing, barbed wire and welded mesh though with reduced capacity and a greatly reduced workforce.
The whole site is a decent size, much of the Drawing / Galvanising / Welding lines remained in place offering lots of stuff to see. I have tried to include lots of photos as it was a big place.
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