# Tinsley Wire Industries - Sheffield Road Works



## Reaperman

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.
















































































































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## klempner69

Excellant stuff there,but yet another sad example of lost manufacturing.Love the locker room..vey typical old style male world complete with pin-ups.


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## Locksley

Great pictures, wierd how some of them look as if the place has been abandoned for years, but others are like they've just walked out. I had no idea this place had closed.


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## wolfism

Excellent stuff - good to come across a place like this with the machinery still intact.


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## night crawler

Great stuff, this was mentioned on the Geograph forum adn I wondered if some one from here had looked at the place. Nice one.


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## TK421

I could sum this place up in only 3 words: "pipes and porn"

Really excellent set of photos there mate, grimy, forgotten, and wonderfully captured

well done


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## Tinkx

Very nice, I love places like that


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## andy m

Wow, great looking site!


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## Krypton

Nice!


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## King Al

Cool find RM, the wire on the spindles is great Would love a wander round there,


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## Mid diesel

Great stuff -- the whole area is gradually being tarted up --- lots of history has already gone......

Just up the road from here is the yard of Harrisons -- a haulage contractor -- their place is worth a look if you are in the area... they don't welcome visitors but you can see quite a bit from the road -- I have been and when I get a minute I 'll start a thread if people are interested?


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## Engineer

*Wire Works.*

Nice, galvanising funaces/vats still intact.


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## Mole Man

Excellant looking place there.


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## nursepayne

Beautiful photos Reaperman and what a find. That's some large scale industry there. V tasty


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## leepey74

I remember this place before they shut down. I used to work for one of the old Steel companies near Forgemasters.

I got the tram to work so i walked past this every day of the week, i remember the smoke from the back end on most mornings it stank lol!

Great pics tho! 

Im back in Sheffield again now (after a 10 year absence) So if u fancy meeting up for a explore just give me a shout.

Im always up for a good explore!


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