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Congratulations This means you must be one - if not the - oldest industrial heritage society existing in Europe. Our association (the Flemish Association for Industrial Archaeology - see http://www.vvia.be) was established in 1978, thus we commemorate next year our 25th anniversary. Has anyone information on the dates other industrial heritage and industrial archaeology societies were established - especially on the European continent ? Greetings Adriaan Linters chairman 'Vlaamse Vereniging voor Industriële Archeologie' (Flemish Association for Industrial Archaeology) At 02:49 13/07/02 -0400, you wrote: >Hello there, > >The South Yorkshire Industrial History Society was founded in 1933, as the >Society for the Preservation of Old Sheffield Trades and later known as The >Sheffield Trades Historical Society, therefore, next year, 2003, we >commemorate the 70th. anniversary of our foundation. The year also sees the >50th. anniversary of the purchase and taking into care by the Society of the >Wortley Top Forge. > >The latter was the derelict site of a wrought iron forge operated by >water-wheel driven forging hammers and furnace blast-making equipment that >had, since its closure as a forge in 1908, been used as a storage area, a >stable, and for various other purposes. The buildings were in great disrepair >and tumbledown. The heavy forging hammers were, although still recognisable, >overgrown and unworkable. The water wheels were rotten and silted up, as were >the leats and water courses from the river Don and associated dams. > >However, members of the Society recognised the importance of the site as >being probably the last remnant of a once great industry, and that the >remains of the equipment were irreplaceable relics. Money was raised to >initially lease the site, and then to purchase it, and work commenced, by >volunteers and dedicated - what we now call - conservationists to renovate >and preserve the buildings, the water wheels, the hammers, and other >equipment. Examples of railway wheels and axles were begged from owners such >as the National Railway Museum in order to be able to demonstrate the last >use of the forge before its closure - the manufacture of Wortley railway >axles. > >It should be said that the Top Forge was the only one of six works that >straggled the valley of the river Don to form the Wortley Iron Works that >could be preserved. In total the Iron Works consisted, in 1888, of two wire >works, a tilt and slitting mill, the Top Forge, the Low Forge rolling mill, >and an erstwhile Tin Mill with a sheet rolling mill, the earliest of which >was founded in 1600. > >The Wortley Top Forge is situated about ten miles north of Sheffield >following the A61 out of the City and by then following the A629 towards >Huddersfield. Go through Wortley village and turn left at the traffic lights >in the village of Thurgoland. The Forge lies on the left after passing under >the disused railway bridge. We open the Forge to visitors on every Sunday >between the hours of ten am. and four pm. except in January when we close for >the month. > >Much work and money, equivalent to almost £1,000,000, has been spent upon the >preservation of the Top Forge. The site now forms a very unique, true, and >'working' restored heavy iron forge housed in period buildings with attached >workshops, workmen's cottages, water courses, and dam. > >The aims of the Society, and the Trust that is responsible for its >management, is to preserve the Forge, install and preserve examples of later >forging techniques and machinery, and to enable the site to become an >educational and heritage centre for an old South Yorkshire industry and >associated Sheffield trades. In March 1994 the Institution of Mechanical >Engineers presented a Heritage Hallmark Plaque to Wortley Top Forge. > >We are conscious that the site lacks the modern amenities required by a 21st. >century Museum Site of importance. Toilets are antiquated, a visitor centre >and refreshment facilities are now a 'must'. Improved, and discreet >explanation and interpretation boards are necessary. And these must be paid >for. We are, therefore appealing for funds and donations. > >But, more importantly, volunteers are also desperately needed, to act as >guides, to dismantle, renovate, and rebuild donated equipment, operate >machine tools, do some bricklaying and other building work for maintenance. >Attendance is required for several fixed Sundays a year, or for every Sunday >if people could spare the time. Skills are not necessary in every case, >although people with specialist skills and knowledge will be more than >welcome. Heavy lifting equipment and carrying vehicles are available on site >and these are maintained and insured, as, indeed are all our visitors and >volunteers. Volunteers are also invited to carry out an ecological >investigation of the site, its surrounding woodland, its field, dam, and >water courses. The last one undertaken was held more than twenty years ago by >a local naturalist but his records have been mislaid. > >We currently have just over 2000 visitors a year the majority of whom are >ordinary people, two or three hundred come as organised trips from learned >and interested bodies and societies, and we hope to attract more, especially >children and teenagers from local schools and colleges. > >What we are looking for is publicity, especially in the run-up to our >jubilee's year We are a volunteer organization looking after an >internationally recognised Heritage site and an important industrial relic. >Please can you help us? > >Yours very sincerely, > >Christopher C. Morley >President, South Yorkshire Industrial Hstory Society.