In the 21st century, few people want to go for a walk to the factory. Especially the one that produces steel. Everything sparks, boils, makes noise...But you can visit the factory built in the 17th century, especially since the Industrial village of Abbeydale is not just one factory. There are many interesting locations there!

As is often the case, a steel mill was built on the outskirts of Sheffield and gradually people, as well as workers, began to settle nearby. After a while, a whole village was formed. Now it is an open-air industrial museum that tells the story of the steel industry in Sheffield.

In ancient times, the Abbeydale factory produced agricultural tools and was Sheffield's largest industrial enterprise on the river Sheaf. It produced scythes and other important and necessary tools in the economy. Everything was done in one place: both steel and sharpening of finished products. The finished braids were very sharp. One touch could leave a wound! Sharpening was taken very seriously, and it was also one of the most dangerous jobs. In 1912, the company had an accident in the grinding shop: the tool failed and the worker was killed. In general, this work was considered one of the most dangerous in those days. Because of the constant dust that the workers inhaled, their life span was very short.

The grinding shop is one of the facilities that can be viewed in the industrial village of Abbeydale. You can just walk through the streets of the village, look at the manager's house and the houses where the workers lived, wander around the neighborhood or go to the factory and around the workshops, see the sloping hammers and the steam engine. And if you arrive on Wednesday, you will see how the water wheel works!

Even though this is an industrial village, the surrounding nature is stunning. And the view of the dam is unforgettable!