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Stocksbridge and Upper Don ward—which includes the districts of Deepcar, Oughtibridge, Stocksbridge, and Wharncliffe Side, and also the villages of Bolsterstone, Ewden, and Midhopestones—is one of the 28 electoral wards in the City of Sheffield, England. It is located in the northwestern part of the city and covers an area of 93.2 km². The population of this ward in 2001 was 18,400 people in 7,700 households. It is one of the wards that make up the Sheffield Hillsborough constituency up until the next general election (expected 2009-2010). At the next general election a completely new constituency will be created for this area Stocksbridge and Penistone.
Districts in Stocksbridge and Upper Don ward
Stocksbridge
Stocksbridge (, postal region S36) is a small town in the metropolitan borough of Sheffield, with a population of around 14,000. It lies just to the east of the Peak District. The town is located in the steep-sided valley of the Little Don River. The valley bottom is almost entirely occupied by steelworks, which spurred the growth of the settlement since the early nineteenth century. Although at one time workers were bussed in from miles around, the steel works now employ few.Samuel Fox established a steel works from 1842, and built much of the infrastructure of Stocksbridge.
During World War II, 'Sammy Fox's' Steelworks was kept busy as part of the war effort. During the Blitz on Sheffield by the Luftwaffe, the bombers used the dam at the end of Stocksbridge as a turning point for their run back toward Sheffield.
The town's local football club is Stocksbridge Park Steels, founded in 1986 following the merger of Stocksbridge Works FC and Oxley Park FC. The home ground of Stocksbridge Park Steels is Bracken Moor, located near the top of the valley. They play in the Unibond Division One. Stocksbridge's chairman is Alan Bethell. The club also organises many youth teams, from the age of 8 to 18.
Deepcar
Deepcar (, postal region S36) is the eastern gateway to the Parish and borders on Wharncliffe Crags and Wharncliffe Woods.Oughtibridge
is a small village on the border of the Peak District in the metropolitan borough of Sheffield and the Parish of Bradfield. It is a quite close knit community with a school with many local shops, resturants and public houses. The river Don has cut the valley with steep sides.Wharncliffe Side
Wharncliffe Side () is a small village on the border of the Peak District in the metropolitan borough of Sheffield and the Parish of Bradfield. It is a quite close knit community with a school and community centre. The river Don has cut the valley with steep sides. One side has a dense wood on it. It is half way between Oughtibridge and Stocksbridge. A legend surrounds the wood, in the past a dragon lived in the wood before a lord nearby killed it. You can visit the dragons cave to this day.Steel at Stocksbridge
Samuel Fox took over a disused corn mill near the centre of Stockbridge in 1842 and adapted it to making wire for textile pins. Around 1848 the business expanded to include wire for umbrella frames which led to Fox developing the “Paragon” umbrella frame in 1851.
The business continued to expand and spread to different produces so that by the mid 1860s the works included furnaces and rolling mills allowing production of railway lines and springs.
The business was transferred to a limited company in 1871.
Between 1872 and 1877 a railway line was built to link the works with the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway at Deepcar. This was the Stocksbridge Railway which existed as a subsidiary company until 1992.
Samuel Fox & Co joined Steel, Peech and Tozer at Templeborough to form the United Steel Companies (USC) following the First World War. From then on the products of the USC sites were coordinated so that each works specialised in set products. Fox’s specialised in special steel produce such as spring steel and stainless steels. This developed into the manufacture of high quality steel for the aviation industry. One specialised department assembled and tested springs for Rolls-Royce cars.
Following nationalisation in 1967, the British Steel Corporation split the stainless steel departments off into a separate business which by 2004 had become Outokumpu.
During the 1980s and 1990s Stocksbridge works was part of the United Engineering Steels group (a joint venture between British Steel and GKN) and was known as "Stocksbridge Engineering Steels"
Since 1999 works is owned by Corus, and is part of the Corus Engineering Steels (CES) group. Although for several years Corus ran at a loss, it has recently returned to profit, in part helped by the worldwide rise in demand for steel caused by Chinese economic activity.
Steel manufacture in Stocksbridge has always been by melting iron and steel firstly in crucibles (from 1860, then Bessemer converters (from 1862) and Siemens Open Hearth Furnaces (from 1899 until 1968) and lastly Electric arc furnaces (from 1939 until 2005). Iron has never been produced from iron ore at Fox's, by any method.
Despite the world wide reputation of Stocksbridge works produce, Corus reduced the works to a satellite site for Rotherham (Aldwarke) Works (also CES). In the process the main melting shop was closed and as well as the rolling mill (the mill was actually kept open after the planned closure date as the production could not be handled at Rotherham. Re-melting of special grades continued using small (around 10 tonnes capacity), specialised furnaces with controlled atmospheres.
The plan to invest a further £6 million at Stocksbridge was cancelled part way through in December 2005. This plan would have enhance the re-melting furnace capacity at Stocksbridge, aimed at strengthening Corus’ position to supply the rapidly growing market place for engineering steels for the aerospace sector. Instead complete closure looks more likely and Corus withdrawing from this part of the market (as of mid December 2005).
Culture
The ASDA Stocksbridge Band is one of the leading brass bands in Yorkshire and the UK. It was formerly associated with the steel works, and appeared in the UK movie The Full Monty.
Stocksbridge is home to many traditional Yorkshire Christmas carols as is especially known for its renditions of Hail Smiling Morn. Bolsterstone Male Voice Choir is close by.
Three of the four members of the Arctic Monkeys were pupils at Stocksbridge High School.
"Stocksbridge and Upper Don"