The Furnace on the Beck between Shelf and Buttershaw

Called The Shelf Ironworks

This postcard was bought on the 27th of April 2004.

When we were kids we used to play on the field where this building used to stand. We always wondered what the strange shape in the middle of the field was, someone told us that it was an old Volcano and we were warned not to go near it, but we could not resist going through the strange archway and into the middle of the so called Volcano. Obviously now we know what the strange building was and here is the visible proof.

It was a Furnace used to Smelt iron down, originally owned by messrs Aydon & Elwell, but we think it changed hands to the Low Moor steelworks in later years.

We have been updated with information relating to these buildings. The cottage to the right was called the counting house and was occupied by a family called Wilkinson. One of the family called John Daniel Wilkinson lived there from the age of six months up to his early twenties starting from 1930 to the 1950s. I have been in touch with John and his son David and they have told me they have several photographs of the area and will give me some for this website. I eagerly await to show them to the world. Also we will update on the areas history. Visit the history of Buttershaw and Shelf page in our Library to see the new pics that John and David have donated to the website.

To see close ups of this image click on smaller images.

To see where the card went to in 1906 click here

see some pictures of a Cast Iron Bridge that was cast over 200 years ago in this foundry, click here

See more pics of the Shelf area in the Library.

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