Kirkstall Forge: Exploring the stories of Britain's oldest ironworks through old photographs and memories

Now the rich history of Britain's oldest ironworks, and the fears of a vengeful giant its hammer evoked, is to be told in the story of Kirkstall Forge.

From humble roots to a pivotal role on the outbreak of war, the ironwork’s legacy has endured through 700 years of change.

The new exhibition, at Leeds Industrial Museum, shares its evolution to massive modern development alongside the remarkable stories of those people who left their mark. Hammer Heart leans on the findings of volunteers and researchers, exploring the forge's complex relationship with British colonialism.

Chris Sharp, keeper of Leeds Industrial Museum, said: “The long and rich story of Kirkstall Forge gives a fascinating insight into centuries of production at a place which was a crucible of industry and innovation.“However, it also demonstrates the important and ever-evolving relationship between industry, people and communities and the many ways they shape and influence one another.”

It is said that every British aircraft built in the Second World War contained steel forged in Kirkstall.

The ironworks in Leeds has existed for centuries but it was under the watchful eye of savvy Betty Beecroft in 1779 that it began to prosper, making buckets, shovels and screws.

By the 1820s the ironworks, now owned by the Butler and Beecroft families, was making axles, nails, steel bars and wrought iron with the advent of machines.

On the outbreak of conflict, it became an essential part of the war effort through the First and Second World Wars. There were axles for military vehicles, artillery, along with steel for munitions and aircrafts. By 1945, the forge had produced 134,500 tons of steel bars, but not without casualties. On August 27, 1940 the forge was bombed, killing five people and leaving 11 seriously injured.

Throughout, the forge had remained central to Kirkstall's communities. So much so that the sound of its steam hammer was nicknamed the Giant’s Footsteps by fearful children.

Today, Kirkstall Forge has been extensively redeveloped into homes, modern offices and a train station, with the working forge closed in 1995.

Coun Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s executive member for culture, said: “Leeds is a city built on imagination, industry and innovation, qualities embodied by so many chapters in the long history of Kirkstall Forge.

“Rediscovering some of these remarkable stories will continue that legacy and allow a new generation to learn about a place which for centuries was a hub for the Kirkstall community and which helped to establish the city of Leeds as a global industrial powerhouse.”