- Joined
- Jan 6, 2013
- Messages
- 5,574
- Reaction score
- 11,213
1. The History
George Barnsley and sons were England's premier makers of forge filing and cutting tools for leather workers and shoe makers The company was founded in 1836 and was initially based on Wheeldon Street. Records show they moved to Cornhill in 1847 and then on to Cornish Place, on the River Don, just three years later. By this time they had expanded their product range to include steel files and butchers knives. George Barnsley was Master Cutler in 1883.
The company grew throughout the 19th century and the Barnsley family were well thought of in the Steel city. Their 1944 listing identified them as manufactures of files and blades, shoe knives and leather workers tools. Four years later they became a Ltd company. George Barnsley died at his home at No. 30 Collegiate Crescent on 30th March 1958 where he lived with wife Mabel and mother-in-law Elizabeth.
Sadly the factory became outdated and the inefficient production meant that the company could not keep pace with a competitive import market. With the costs of production growing George Barnsley's closed its doors in 2003. The site has sat derelict and unused ever since, although the site is now on the market and up for redevelopment.
2. The Explore
Can’t believe it’s taken me so long to get back round this place (nearly two years). One visit is not enough so on a lovely sunny September morning me and two non-members, J-Ruff and San-Fan, headed off to explore the place. Entry was via the usual route. Not particularly demanding but a bit round the houses. Initially we thought we weren’t going to be able to get in when we saw workman in the nearby Wharncliffe Works that adjoins but fortunately they were in a different yard to the one we had to scurry across.
I’d head that the place had been getting a bit of a beating of recent. This is true in that some crap graff has appeared, some of the artefacts have now gone (the Brut aftershave bottle, the Typhoo Tea box and the teapot. Some knob-head has also smashed the “Office Enquiries. Ring” glass too. That said, the place still has its charm and is still very much worth a visit. It remains one of the best places I’ve ever explored. It was really good going back for a revisit as I spotted quite a few things that I didn’t see first time around. I came away with a lot of pix to the point that I’m splitting them over two reports.
3. The Pictures
Off the hook again!
img2823 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2825 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2826 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Old winching technology:
img2831 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Where’s the old Brut aftershave bottle gone?
img2832 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2834 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2835 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2836 by HughieDW, on Flickr
A bit of new graff:
img2838 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2840 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2841 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2842 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2843 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2845 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2847 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2851 by HughieDW, on Flickr
More fresh Graff
img2852 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2856 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Old grinding stones:
img2868 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2860 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2862 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2863 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2881 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2873 by HughieDW, on Flickr
That staircase:
img2877 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2880 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2882 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2884 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2885 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2886 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2887 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2889 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2890 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2891 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2899 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img2900 by HughieDW, on Flickr
OK – that’s it for now. Part 2 coming soon!
George Barnsley and sons were England's premier makers of forge filing and cutting tools for leather workers and shoe makers The company was founded in 1836 and was initially based on Wheeldon Street. Records show they moved to Cornhill in 1847 and then on to Cornish Place, on the River Don, just three years later. By this time they had expanded their product range to include steel files and butchers knives. George Barnsley was Master Cutler in 1883.
The company grew throughout the 19th century and the Barnsley family were well thought of in the Steel city. Their 1944 listing identified them as manufactures of files and blades, shoe knives and leather workers tools. Four years later they became a Ltd company. George Barnsley died at his home at No. 30 Collegiate Crescent on 30th March 1958 where he lived with wife Mabel and mother-in-law Elizabeth.
Sadly the factory became outdated and the inefficient production meant that the company could not keep pace with a competitive import market. With the costs of production growing George Barnsley's closed its doors in 2003. The site has sat derelict and unused ever since, although the site is now on the market and up for redevelopment.
2. The Explore
Can’t believe it’s taken me so long to get back round this place (nearly two years). One visit is not enough so on a lovely sunny September morning me and two non-members, J-Ruff and San-Fan, headed off to explore the place. Entry was via the usual route. Not particularly demanding but a bit round the houses. Initially we thought we weren’t going to be able to get in when we saw workman in the nearby Wharncliffe Works that adjoins but fortunately they were in a different yard to the one we had to scurry across.
I’d head that the place had been getting a bit of a beating of recent. This is true in that some crap graff has appeared, some of the artefacts have now gone (the Brut aftershave bottle, the Typhoo Tea box and the teapot. Some knob-head has also smashed the “Office Enquiries. Ring” glass too. That said, the place still has its charm and is still very much worth a visit. It remains one of the best places I’ve ever explored. It was really good going back for a revisit as I spotted quite a few things that I didn’t see first time around. I came away with a lot of pix to the point that I’m splitting them over two reports.
3. The Pictures
Off the hook again!
![37056036736_4cb3dd8964_b.jpg 37056036736_4cb3dd8964_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229538-37056036736-4cb3dd8964-b.jpg)
![36408774524_527dc5388d_b.jpg 36408774524_527dc5388d_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229539-36408774524-527dc5388d-b.jpg)
![36848232280_49233a3bb0_b.jpg 36848232280_49233a3bb0_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229540-36848232280-49233a3bb0-b.jpg)
Old winching technology:
![36432040723_785b2acde8_b.jpg 36432040723_785b2acde8_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229541-36432040723-785b2acde8-b.jpg)
Where’s the old Brut aftershave bottle gone?
![36848159430_844a374d49_b.jpg 36848159430_844a374d49_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229542-36848159430-844a374d49-b.jpg)
![36408675964_34924ec9f2_b.jpg 36408675964_34924ec9f2_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229543-36408675964-34924ec9f2-b.jpg)
![36408649484_8b454312f1_b.jpg 36408649484_8b454312f1_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229544-36408649484-8b454312f1-b.jpg)
![36848057560_bb27db00e6_b.jpg 36848057560_bb27db00e6_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229545-36848057560-bb27db00e6-b.jpg)
A bit of new graff:
![37074254412_e88d106897_b.jpg 37074254412_e88d106897_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229546-37074254412-e88d106897-b.jpg)
![37246131095_95c7c9a202_b.jpg 37246131095_95c7c9a202_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229547-37246131095-95c7c9a202-b.jpg)
![36431806743_d83f3b77e9_b.jpg 36431806743_d83f3b77e9_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229548-36431806743-d83f3b77e9-b.jpg)
![37074130232_a8a11b5d1b_b.jpg 37074130232_a8a11b5d1b_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229549-37074130232-a8a11b5d1b-b.jpg)
![36431704513_bcb386e5e0_b.jpg 36431704513_bcb386e5e0_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229550-36431704513-bcb386e5e0-b.jpg)
![37074055422_520cab7926_b.jpg 37074055422_520cab7926_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229551-37074055422-520cab7926-b.jpg)
![37245939965_1fcd025ebe_b.jpg 37245939965_1fcd025ebe_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229552-37245939965-1fcd025ebe-b.jpg)
![36408373884_ec493b92e9_b.jpg 36408373884_ec493b92e9_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229553-36408373884-ec493b92e9-b.jpg)
More fresh Graff
![37055514106_a8df8ca3a2_b.jpg 37055514106_a8df8ca3a2_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229554-37055514106-a8df8ca3a2-b.jpg)
![36847739210_5ef8278e83_b.jpg 36847739210_5ef8278e83_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229555-36847739210-5ef8278e83-b.jpg)
Old grinding stones:
![36410872594_29dc8419bd_b.jpg 36410872594_29dc8419bd_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229556-36410872594-29dc8419bd-b.jpg)
![37248477915_98440a1a27_b.jpg 37248477915_98440a1a27_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229557-37248477915-98440a1a27-b.jpg)
![37105860631_ccea2fa480_b.jpg 37105860631_ccea2fa480_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229558-37105860631-ccea2fa480-b.jpg)
![37105831541_82ebf8ebd6_b.jpg 37105831541_82ebf8ebd6_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229559-37105831541-82ebf8ebd6-b.jpg)
![36411028744_b670ca479c_b.jpg 36411028744_b670ca479c_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229560-36411028744-b670ca479c-b.jpg)
![36434358783_e9b4c45491_b.jpg 36434358783_e9b4c45491_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229561-36434358783-e9b4c45491-b.jpg)
That staircase:
![37248617675_ecb8a94fe6_b.jpg 37248617675_ecb8a94fe6_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229562-37248617675-ecb8a94fe6-b.jpg)
![37058256396_156558d9c0_b.jpg 37058256396_156558d9c0_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229563-37058256396-156558d9c0-b.jpg)
![37058619976_d0d994c254_b.jpg 37058619976_d0d994c254_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229564-37058619976-d0d994c254-b.jpg)
![36411212764_69bc905dbd_b.jpg 36411212764_69bc905dbd_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229565-36411212764-69bc905dbd-b.jpg)
![37058513446_216224f458_b.jpg 37058513446_216224f458_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229566-37058513446-216224f458-b.jpg)
![37076930872_623a31fd35_b.jpg 37076930872_623a31fd35_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229567-37076930872-623a31fd35-b.jpg)
![37076908162_b581695703_b.jpg 37076908162_b581695703_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229568-37076908162-b581695703-b.jpg)
![36435157873_c735dcb78a_b.jpg 36435157873_c735dcb78a_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229569-36435157873-c735dcb78a-b.jpg)
![36851238730_58191d3600_b.jpg 36851238730_58191d3600_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229570-36851238730-58191d3600-b.jpg)
![36851201920_c7d83d85c8_b.jpg 36851201920_c7d83d85c8_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229571-36851201920-c7d83d85c8-b.jpg)
![37106746651_7a93223df7_b.jpg 37106746651_7a93223df7_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229572-37106746651-7a93223df7-b.jpg)
![37058987766_3ff3bc99ec_b.jpg 37058987766_3ff3bc99ec_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/229/229573-37058987766-3ff3bc99ec-b.jpg)
OK – that’s it for now. Part 2 coming soon!
Last edited: