Lunchtime Talk: Industry, Steel and Beer – Archaeology Along Attercliffe Waterside

Discover the historic impact of Sheffield’s new canal on local industries in this insightful talk from York Archaeology. 

When Sheffield’s new canal was completed in 1819, it transformed the industrial landscape, opening up new opportunities for businesses to connect with wider markets and sources of raw materials. 

York Archaeology’s excavations along the canal revealed a cluster of industrial works that developed around this new waterway. While a small works owned by George Parker already existed, the much larger Fitzalan Works was constructed after the canal, taking full advantage of this new transport link. 

Between these two classic examples of Sheffield’s steel-making history was a smaller industry that was nonetheless vital to the daily lives of local inhabitants: a malt house – essential for the production of the beer that sustained the unquenchable thirst of an ever-growing workforce. 

The archaeological investigations revealed that the site was remarkably well preserved, including one of the better-preserved examples of a fully integrated steelworks excavated in Sheffield in recent years, which is considered of regional significance. The site captures a moment when Sheffield’s industrial revolution was gathering pace, and the dawn of the railway age was just around the corner. 

Join York Archaeology to explore what these discoveries tell us about Sheffield’s industrial past, the businesses that sprang up alongside its new canal, and the archaeology left behind by this rapidly changing landscape. 

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