# Stanton Ironworks, Ilkeston Derbyshire - January 2009



## thompski (Jan 4, 2009)

Derbyshire's industrial heritage is vast - from the Derwent Valley Mills (one of the Midlands two world heritage site's), Derby's railway and aerospace industries (which continue to this day) and North Derbyshire's mining to name but a few. The county was also home to numerous foundries and perhaps the best known were those at Stanton and Staveley.

Iron production in Stanton dates back to the Roman period and remains have been found of Medieval operations. The true beginning is believed to be when Benjamin Smith of Chesterfield established several furnaces along the Nutbrook Canal. Unfortunately Smith struggled and the company went through a series of takeovers during the 19th century.

In the 1870s there was a huge demand for Iron due to the ongoing Franco Prussian War and became the Stanton Ironworks Company. In 1960 it merged with the works at Staveley near Chesterfield to become Stanton and Staveley and was nationalised into British Steel.

In the 1980s it was privatised and was acquired by the Pont-a-Mouson group later Saint Gobain. At its peak it employed over 12,000 people, production ceased in 2007. 

A more concise history can be found here - http://www.stantonironworks.co.uk

Words and pictures cannot truly convey the scale of this place - it is a myriad of walkways, gantry cranes, storage tanks and production lines and little if any machinery has been removed. I felt truly privileged to have walked amongst this massive industrial behemoth, and it makes me ever more proud of my home county's history. 

Visited with the Pirate.






















Gives a bit of idea of the scale of this place


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## Neosea (Jan 4, 2009)

Cool splore thanks.


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## Sabtr (Jan 4, 2009)

Wow. Wish I had visited the steelworks at Consett up this way. Just about nothing remains of the Consett Steelworks now - you are very lucky!


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## Foxylady (Jan 4, 2009)

Fantastic site, thompski. Humungous place...you must have been there for hours!  
Cheers.


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## Goldie87 (Jan 4, 2009)

Gutted I couldn't make it, looks a massive place. Nice pics


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## fezzyben (Jan 4, 2009)

ooh thats a gem of a place. I may have to nip down there


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## BigLoada (Jan 4, 2009)

Nice one dude. Thatswhat I like, big heavy industry. Pity theres nowt left up here now. Great explore man.


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## johno23 (Jan 4, 2009)

Great pics and write up,Its hard to imagine the scale of the place but it looks massive,Nice work guys.


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## Kaputnik (Jan 4, 2009)

Nicely done, you pair, and good pics, my dad worked there for about 20 years in the 50's/60's 
as i mentioned to the pirate, plans for demo/development, and a huge housing scheme are on hold now, from what i read in a local paper, as St Gobain, the owners had their firm that were lined up for the job pull out, looks like a great explore!


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## wolfism (Jan 4, 2009)

That looks like an absolutely fantastic place … I explored the old foundry at Clay Cross a while back, but this is 100x the explore by the look of your photos. Great photos, excellent thread.


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## The Pirate (Jan 4, 2009)

That was an awsome day out...

You can`t fit into a picture the massive scale of the site and the different light effects and smells and sounds are ace !!

I could have spent longer in there but 
A/ my new tripod broke
And
B/ I used 2 sets of batteries and had no more

Here`s a few of my pics anyway...






These little melting pots you can see in this shot...





Are the ones here where i decided to clean the site up a bit !





Green lighting...





Yellow lighting





And natural lighting





A view over the existing site from the roof..





Big machinery





Control switchy thingies...















We didn`t get many outside shots but that`s maybe for another day....

If anyone does decide to go give me a shout as i have some needed info for you..

Thanx for looking

agggrrrrr


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## Stormhawk (Jan 4, 2009)

I go past this place all the time, didn't realise it'd become derelict


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## odeon master (Jan 4, 2009)

great explore there.
this building was THE CENTRAL MELTING PLANT where iron was melted down and made into pipes and couplings etc.
it reminds me of drakelow powerstation in the scale of the building and its contents.
the remainder of the ironworks are now used for storage only, no production at all.
the CONCRETE PLANT just up the road is still in working use. this is where they make concrete pipes of all sizes .
several years back large quantities of concrete lamp posts were also made here as STANTON LIGHTING COLUMNS. non are made today, just pipes.

cheers
THE ODEON


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## james.s (Feb 18, 2009)

Did you look at the smaller buildings around the site? There are some nice loading hoppers and pump rooms just down the railway tracks.
Great explore though, the site is H U G E!


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## thompski (Feb 19, 2009)

I was aware of them, though didn't bother to look at the time. Though I might return for the outside stuff before the demolition guys move in - the Gantry cranes and railway demand further attention.


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## orangeacid (Feb 19, 2009)

wow, looks like an immense explore! Huge place as well. Can't wait to pass my driving test so I can get back out urbexing.


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## Urban-Warrior (Feb 19, 2009)

nice expo.. looks like an immense site.. thanks for sharing


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## james.s (Feb 21, 2009)

It is really massive! I would love to look in the main part.


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## odeon master (Nov 12, 2009)

*Stanton ironworks*

Hi all,
Drove past here today, and just a gutted frame of the building remains along with the two huge overhead gantry cranes.
Well, heard a large boom in the afternoon whilst in Ilson, went an had another look and now there's one crane standing.
The other one had been blown up !
I'd say in a couple of weeks the lot will be a scrap pile.
Shame i didnt have my camera.

THE ODEON


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## thompski (Nov 12, 2009)

Thanks for the update Odeon, there is a pretty good set on flickr of the demolition in progress...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157622332634146/


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## odeon master (Nov 12, 2009)

It was BROWN AND MASON who are doing the demolition, the same firm who demolished Drakelow power station.
I did hear the other day that Willington powerstation site is now to be re used as such in the form of a gas fired station as the housing development proposed for the site has been rejected.

THE ODEON


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## thompski (Nov 12, 2009)

odeon master said:


> It was BROWN AND MASON who are doing the demolition, the same firm who demolished Drakelow power station.
> I did hear the other day that Willington powerstation site is now to be re used as such in the form of a gas fired station as the housing development proposed for the site has been rejected.
> 
> THE ODEON



E-on was refused permission to build the estate, so have gone for a plan B to build a power station, a proposal is to be submitted in early 2010.


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## james.s (Nov 12, 2009)

odeon master said:


> Hi all,
> Drove past here today, and just a gutted frame of the building remains along with the two huge overhead gantry cranes.
> Well, heard a large boom in the afternoon whilst in Ilson, went an had another look and now there's one crane standing.
> The other one had been blown up !
> ...



My grandfather helped build those cranes


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