Coalbrookdale/Aga Rangemaster Foundry
Coalbrookdale sits next to the River Severn within the Ironbridge Gorge of Shropshire, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site since 1986.
There is an important history to this site in terms of its industrial heritage. A new method of smelting iron, developed by Abraham Darby (1678-1717) involved charging the furnaces with coke instead of charcoal, which enabled a higher production of iron for the building of railways. The foundry undertook the creation of the world’s first cast iron bridge, which has become one of Britain’s most important historical assets, locally known as the internationally renowned Iron Bridge. The foundry has very much been at the heart of the industrial revolution and the local community for generations.
The closure of the Coalbrookdale/Aga Rangemaster Foundry represents a significant moment within the historical events of the Ironbridge Gorge, bringing to an end centuries of iron production on the site and removing the last major industrial name from the “Cradle of Industry”. The closure will impact on 35 jobs, although some foundry operators will move to other roles.
Product portfolio changes and reduced demand for cast-iron castings from sister companies within the group has significantly impacted on the plant’s ability to produce castings economically. Following an orderly and structured wind-down of manufacturing at Coalbrookdale, the company will be sourcing its castings from a number of third-party suppliers both in the UK and across Europe.
Aga, which has consulted with union officials, said "everything possible" is being done to mitigate the impact of any compulsory redundancies, but said that the foundry is no longer economically viable.
The company's factory at Ketley will be kept open, with iron for the Aga ovens assembled there being sourced from other foundries across the UK and the EU which are not part of the Aga Rangemaster group. All assembly of Aga and Rayburn products, including the enamelling process, will continue to be undertaken at their main manufacturing site at Ketley.
Aga Rangemaster was sold to Illinois-based food services giant Middleby Corporation in 2015, in a deal worth about £129 million.
(The Shropshire Star)
I spoke to a few local folks who were taking some photographs of the foundry gates, a couple of the guys had worked there. One said his father had also worked at the site so the foundry was kind of in the family. He sounded rather shell-shocked, although he knew the day would arrive, he hoped it would never happen. The gates were meant to close at the end of November but the final date was bought forward a week.
Personally I feel saddened that this once thriving foundry, which was alive with the constant clanging of machinery, pungent smells from the burning coke and intense heat from the streams of white hot molten metal, has extinguished its burning fires for good. Just what is going on in Britain? We seem to be determined to sell off our few remaining manufacturing industries to foreign buyers, who either close them down or move the surviving parts abroad for cheaper production. It just doesn’t feel right when the last existing foundry situated on the oldest site in Europe, born within the heart of Britain’s Industrial Revolution furnaces can no longer roar.
Here are some of the sights that I found...
_MG_7405 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7427 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7440 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
Some of the aluminium patterns used for making the moulds.
_MG_7439 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7449 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7464 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
More of the patterns used to cast the sand moulds.
_MG_7472 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
Sand is filled inside these casings and the patterns put inside to create the mould.
_MG_7484 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7504 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
Sacks of coke used for charging the furnaces.
_MG_7524 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
There were lots of types of metal working and drilling machines.
_MG_7550 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
One of the canteen areas.
_MG_7548 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
If you make them it would be wrong not to use them!
_MG_7551 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7556 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7563 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7564 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7576 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
I love seeing messages left by the workers, it makes it the more personal. This person had a long stint here!
_MG_7578 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7580 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7596 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7599 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7603 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
Somebody else that loves photography...or a change of scenery.
_MG_7605 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7598 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7615 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7617 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7627 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
The furnace.
_MG_7639 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7677 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7703 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7759 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7778 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7782 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7787 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7789 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7801 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7805 by Pretty
Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7806 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7813 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7821 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7825 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7838 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7886 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
More messages from the workers...
_MG_7888 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
I saw this just as I was about to leave, it’s very touching.
The Foundry 007 copy by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
I went back on the first day of the recent snow to try and get a few pic’s of the Ironbridge cooling towers before they sadly disappear too, so stopped to get a couple of external shots of the foundry.
The Foundry 033 copy by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
Some workers had tied their boots to the gate, it brings a tear to the eye!
The Foundry 205 copy by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
The 4 glorious pink cooling towers behind the foundry. The bridge in the distance is the Albert Edward Bridge built in 1863 by the Coalbrookdale Company, no need to guess were the iron was forged for that.
Well I hope you have enjoyed looking around this truly historic site, it made me feel rather sad looking through these photographs to upload them. Thanks for looking folks.
Coalbrookdale sits next to the River Severn within the Ironbridge Gorge of Shropshire, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site since 1986.
There is an important history to this site in terms of its industrial heritage. A new method of smelting iron, developed by Abraham Darby (1678-1717) involved charging the furnaces with coke instead of charcoal, which enabled a higher production of iron for the building of railways. The foundry undertook the creation of the world’s first cast iron bridge, which has become one of Britain’s most important historical assets, locally known as the internationally renowned Iron Bridge. The foundry has very much been at the heart of the industrial revolution and the local community for generations.
The closure of the Coalbrookdale/Aga Rangemaster Foundry represents a significant moment within the historical events of the Ironbridge Gorge, bringing to an end centuries of iron production on the site and removing the last major industrial name from the “Cradle of Industry”. The closure will impact on 35 jobs, although some foundry operators will move to other roles.
Product portfolio changes and reduced demand for cast-iron castings from sister companies within the group has significantly impacted on the plant’s ability to produce castings economically. Following an orderly and structured wind-down of manufacturing at Coalbrookdale, the company will be sourcing its castings from a number of third-party suppliers both in the UK and across Europe.
Aga, which has consulted with union officials, said "everything possible" is being done to mitigate the impact of any compulsory redundancies, but said that the foundry is no longer economically viable.
The company's factory at Ketley will be kept open, with iron for the Aga ovens assembled there being sourced from other foundries across the UK and the EU which are not part of the Aga Rangemaster group. All assembly of Aga and Rayburn products, including the enamelling process, will continue to be undertaken at their main manufacturing site at Ketley.
Aga Rangemaster was sold to Illinois-based food services giant Middleby Corporation in 2015, in a deal worth about £129 million.
(The Shropshire Star)
I spoke to a few local folks who were taking some photographs of the foundry gates, a couple of the guys had worked there. One said his father had also worked at the site so the foundry was kind of in the family. He sounded rather shell-shocked, although he knew the day would arrive, he hoped it would never happen. The gates were meant to close at the end of November but the final date was bought forward a week.
Personally I feel saddened that this once thriving foundry, which was alive with the constant clanging of machinery, pungent smells from the burning coke and intense heat from the streams of white hot molten metal, has extinguished its burning fires for good. Just what is going on in Britain? We seem to be determined to sell off our few remaining manufacturing industries to foreign buyers, who either close them down or move the surviving parts abroad for cheaper production. It just doesn’t feel right when the last existing foundry situated on the oldest site in Europe, born within the heart of Britain’s Industrial Revolution furnaces can no longer roar.
Here are some of the sights that I found...
_MG_7405 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7427 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7440 by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrSome of the aluminium patterns used for making the moulds.
_MG_7439 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7449 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7464 by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrMore of the patterns used to cast the sand moulds.
_MG_7472 by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrSand is filled inside these casings and the patterns put inside to create the mould.
_MG_7484 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7504 by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrSacks of coke used for charging the furnaces.
_MG_7524 by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrThere were lots of types of metal working and drilling machines.
_MG_7550 by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrOne of the canteen areas.
_MG_7548 by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrIf you make them it would be wrong not to use them!
_MG_7551 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7556 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7563 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7564 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7576 by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrI love seeing messages left by the workers, it makes it the more personal. This person had a long stint here!
_MG_7578 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7580 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7596 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7599 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7603 by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrSomebody else that loves photography...or a change of scenery.
_MG_7605 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7598 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7615 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7617 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7627 by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrThe furnace.
_MG_7639 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7677 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7703 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7759 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7778 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7782 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7787 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7789 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7801 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7805 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
_MG_7806 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7813 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7821 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7825 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7838 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr_MG_7886 by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrMore messages from the workers...
_MG_7888 by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrI saw this just as I was about to leave, it’s very touching.
The Foundry 007 copy by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrI went back on the first day of the recent snow to try and get a few pic’s of the Ironbridge cooling towers before they sadly disappear too, so stopped to get a couple of external shots of the foundry.
The Foundry 033 copy by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrSome workers had tied their boots to the gate, it brings a tear to the eye!
The Foundry 205 copy by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrThe 4 glorious pink cooling towers behind the foundry. The bridge in the distance is the Albert Edward Bridge built in 1863 by the Coalbrookdale Company, no need to guess were the iron was forged for that.
Well I hope you have enjoyed looking around this truly historic site, it made me feel rather sad looking through these photographs to upload them. Thanks for looking folks.
I do think your Big Bruv bath shot is pretty epic though
