Stocksbridge

South Yorkshire

Stocksbridge is a small town in the Sheffield metropolitan district of South Yorkshire.

The town nestles in the valley of the River Don some 10 miles north-west of the city of Sheffield.

In the space of 300 years, and mostly in the last 150, Stocksbridge has grown from a tiny hamlet into a small town with large steel mills.

A fulling mill was established in the area early in the 18th century. John Stocks produced felted cloth with machinery widely known as fulling stocks. By the end of the century, a cotton mill had been established.

In 1842, Samuel Fox, of Bradwell, Derbyshire, arrived in Stocksbridge and established a wire drawing factory which made pins used in wool combing in the West Riding of Yorkshire textile industry. By 1850s the works had expanded its range and was producing a superior umbrella frame using U-shaped steel ribs which became known as the Paragon frame.

By the 1860s, Samuel Fox and Company were involved in making steel and suppling products to Britain's growing railway industry, then a major worldwide exporter rather than importer of railway inventions. The steelworks brought growth and prosperity and resulted in an expansion of housing and other industries.

Towards the end of the First World War, the company was amalgamated with others as the United Steel Company. In 1967 there was nationalisation under the British Steel Corporation, de-nationalisation in 1988 and division into three businesses in 1999. Recently works in Stocksbridge have been run by Corus Steels which were taken over by Indian company Tata in 2007, continuing to produce specialist steels for high-technology industries. Liberty House Group acquired the speciality steels business from Tata in February 2017.

Another works, owned by Finnish firm Outokumpu but closed in 2008, has recently been redeveloped as the Fox Valley shopping centre. Arranged around a large car park, its many shops provide Stocksbridge with an extended town centre and also attract shoppers from further afield.

The Fox Valley centre was the finishing point of the final third stage of the 2017 Tour de Yorkshire cycle race.

Town features

Stocksbridge is close to the Peak District National Park.

The town is on the River Don.

The town has a shopping centre among its range of shops. Stocksbridge offers bakery goods, butchers, clothes, flowers and other goods.

The town has a Post Office branch.

The town has a pharmacy.

The town has a pub and a social club.

A choice of cafes can be found in Stocksbridge.

Takeaway food outlets in the town include chinese, curries, pizzas, sandwiches.

The town has a library.

There is a leisure centre at Stocksbridge.

Places of worship: Methodist, United Reformed, other.

Travel

Bus travel

Buses operate from stops in Manchester Road with a few services also entering Fox Valley Way to turn near the retail park.

Destinations include Deepcar 5, Penistone 13, Thurgoland 16, Oughtibridge 23, Chapeltown 25, Holmfirth Sat 25, Barnsley 39, Sheffield 57, Millhouse Green 5757 - typical fastest bus journey times in minutes. Journeys on some routes may take longer.
Yellow - places in South Yorkshire ticket area.

Sat - infrequent Saturday service only.

Further bus information at Travel South Yorkshire external website.

Road travel

Stocksbridge can be reached via the (A616) (A6102) B6088 .

Places to visit

Peak District National Park

The vast area of the Peak District National Park starts at the western edge of the Sheffield metropolitan district, stretching from Yorkshire into Derbyshire and beyond. For more details see our Peak District page.

Wortley Top Forge

Forge Lane, Thurgoland

Wortley Top Forge was a heavy iron forge powered by water which traces its history back to at least 1640. It is situated in the secluded wooded valley of the River Don just over half-a-mile south-south-east of the village of Thurgoland and about a mile north-west of Wortley. The forge continued in use until 1910 after many decades through the Victorian era producing railway axles. Today Wortley Top Forge is an industrial museum, restored by volunteers of the South Yorkshire Industrial History Society. It is also a Scheduled Ancient Monument reflecting the importance of the iron industry to South Yorkshire. The forge has three water wheels and the water-powered drop hammers that were used, together with stationary steam engines and displays of old tools. While the forge produced railway axles in its latter days, it was never connected to a railway, nor had them on site, but it now has a narrow gauge railway exhibits acquired from York Water Works and also a miniature railway run by the Wortley Top Forge Model Engineers which provides rides behind miniature locomotives on forge opening days. The forge is open to the public on Sundays and Bank Holidays from Easter Sunday to early November.

For more details see the Wortley Top Forge website.

Find on map: Wortley Top Forge

Kelham Island Museum

Alma Street, Sheffield

About half a mile north of Sheffield city centre, the museum follows the steel making industry in Sheffield and how it shaped the city's growth through the industrial revolution and world wars. It features a powerful working steam engine which was originally built to roll armour plate for First World War battleships.

For more details see the Kelham Island Museum website.

Emergency services

South Yorkshire Police

South Yorkshire Police website.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue website.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust website.

Local government

Civil parish council

Stocksbridge Town Council
Provides some local services in the area.
Link to council website:

Stocksbridge Town Council

Local government

Metropolitan district council

Sheffield City Council
Sheffield City Council's area extends several miles beyond the edge of the city, including rural areas, particularly to the west and north-west of the city where the district includes part of the Peak District National Park, a few hamlets and small villages and the town of Stocksbridge.

The council's 84 elected councillors are elected three per ward across 28 wards.

One councillor per ward is elected in each of three years out of four for a four-year term.

Political composition after May 2024 election:

36 *27146 SCC1
84 members * includes Labour & Co-operative SCC = Sheffield Community Councillors

Link to Sheffield City Council website.

County strategic authority

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority
Covers combined services including public transport, housing, infrastructure and regeneration and adult education in South Yorkshire, including the metropolitan districts of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield. The authority has been mayor-led since 2018. The South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner is added to the list of mayoral responsibilities after the May 2024 election.

Elected mayor: ❚ Oliver Coppard Labour & Cooperative

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority website.

Police and Crime Commissioner

This role becomes the responsibility of the elected South Yorkshire mayor after the May 2024 election.

South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner website.

Fire Authority

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority
The fire authority is made up of elected members of each of the four metropolitan district councils of South Yorkshire - Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority web pages.

Parliamentary constituency

Penistone and Stocksbridge
Elected MP: ❚ Marie Tidball Labour

National government region

Yorkshire and the Humber

Ceremonial county

South Yorkshire

Historic

-1974 Within the West Riding of Yorkshire.

Also in Yorkshire.guide

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