Bedlington, Northumberland
Bedlington Ironworks
Last Updated:
25 Jan 2025
Bedlington, Northumberland
This is a
Ironworks
55.131937, -1.567919
Founded in
Current status is
Demolished
Designer (if known):
The site is now Dene Park and charming woodland.
This is Bedlington Iron Works. I've been banging on about this place for the past few months thanks to the incredible collection I was given by a lovely lady in November, and I found the opportunity to revisit the site in late December.
I can't overegg how important this place is to South East Northumberland. It was first opened in 1736 by a Newcastle ironmonger, William Tomlinson and produced nails for general industry. Malings, the pottery firm from Sunderland, also took on the works for a short time as well as the Haws of Gateshead. However, it garnered huge growth under Michael Longridge.
Its surroundings certainly helped. Blyth's shipyards were growing at pace and they demanded iron for their ships. Collieries & railways needed quality materials to run their operations efficiently. The demand induced innovation, and the works were the first to invent malleable rail instead of cast iron - a sturdier and stronger evolution produced out of old scrap metal from Blyth. The patent was issued in 1820.
Such a quality product inevitably led to some of Britain's greatest industrial minds. George Stephenson used the rails on the Stockton & Darlington, with a favourable exchange for the Iron Works using coal from Barrington where George had shares. 1200 tons of malleable iron rail was bought by the S&DR. George & his brother Robert also obtained parts for their locomotive Blucher here, and went on to be made for many other companies in the country.
It is certainly worth noting Isambard Kingdom Brunel took notice of Bedlington. The rails were also used on the broad gauge Great Western Railway - one of the most famous lines in the world. Daniel Gooch, another Bedlingtonite who spent his childhood playing on the river, remarked he found Bedlington rails at Stratford upon Avon.
Locomotives began construction here in the 1820s. This side was directed by Michael's son Robert and formally commenced operations in 1827 - some 2 years after the S&DR. It's difficult to trace locomotives from the first decade, but we certainly know the "Michael Longridge" was constructed for the Stanhope & Tyne in 1837. They went on to produce for the Brandling Junction & Hartlepool railways locally. Internationally the Belgian & Austrian State Railways, the Berlin & Potsdam Railway, Amsterdam & Haarlem Railway and the Cologne & Midem Railway also featured Bedlington locomotives. The last was produced in 1855. The first engine from Kings Cross ever pulled was from Bedlington.
Transport costs as well as the domination of Stephenson's cheaper Forth Banks Works saw production cease.
The works continued with vigour, and 2000 people were employed down here in the 1850s. There was a reading room and huge complex connected by waggonway to Bedlington. Rails and forgings were exported to the Crimea during the war, and his product ended up in the Great Exhibition of 1851. Sadly though, after Longridge's retirement in 1853 the iron works went down the pot. It went through a series of owners. The slumps in the iron trade as well as the discovery of ironstone in Cleveland saw the demise of Bedlington's once world-leading iron production.
I'm incredibly privileged to have passed the huge collection of BIW objects & documents to the
Northumberland Archives over a long term. In due course, anyone will be able to view it and explore how mighty this place was. I posted about the collection here: https://x.com/neheritagelib/status/1862790511968334170
Listing Description (if available)
Both Ordnance Survey maps above illustrate the Ironworks along the River Blyth in the latter half of the 19th century. Frustratingly, the first from 1866 is damaged by what is probably tape, and makes it difficult to study the area. One thing that can be noted though is the scale of industry along the Blyth at the time. From the west is a small mill, then along the meander of the river the large complex of industrial buildings on both sides of the river illustrate its importance to the area. Various terraced dwellings can be seen on either side of the river also, likely accomodating its workers. A Waggonway also linked the Ironworks at one point or another to Bedlington Station to the north.
The Ironworks were actually abandoned in the late 1860s, so by the second edition in 1898 many of the buildings had been demolished. As noted above large remnants existed for another century, and some of those can be seen on this map, along a small country lane along Bedlington bank. It seems the other side of the river was known as 'Bebside Furnace', referencing its heritage.
By the 40s, the area had changed significantly, with lines of dwellings, hotels and public houses. Nothing is marked on this map showing that one of the most significant industrial sites in the country once lied here, though some buildings are shaded which may have been in relation. It was 10 years later where many of the major features were removed to landscape the new park area, though even today some relics can be seen including the brick walls lining the river and another walled structure next to Furnace Bank.
Aerial photograph of the Iron Works site in December 2024. The waggonway will have led to the left of the bridge in the centre of the shot into the complex from the bank behind.
Illustration of the ironworks at its greatest extent in the 19th century. The chimneys are bellowing and the water is flowing it seems on this image, and shows the ironworks from the bank on Bedside. The chimney on the image above is likely that on the left of this picture. 2 figures in a rowing boat can be seen to the right, likely close to the thin bridge constructed over the Blyth.
Retrieved from http://www.sixtownships.org.uk/bedlington-ironworks-by-chris-bergen.html - This is another great resource to find out more on the site
Grainy photograph of the complex in 1910. Furnace Bridge can be seen in the background and a small trail leading off Furnace Bank. It is clear that at this point the site was overgrown, but even then the remants of the ironworks are obvious.
Retrieved from Cympil on Bedlington.co.uk