Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet

Abbeydale Works was once the largest water-powered industrial site on the River Sheaf: a dedicated place of highly skilled metal working from 1697 to 1933 where scythes and other edge tools were made.

Almost all of the industrial processes were carried out on this very site, from making the steel to grinding the blades. Their new exhibition gives an educational overview of this historic site and the interactive elements designed to engage kids of all ages help bring the whole thing to life!

In the All About Abbeydale gallery you can follow the timelines and learn Abbeydale's fascinating history, watch a short film (From Furnace to Field) that shows Abbeydale in action and explore the hands-on displays that really help consolidate the learning as well as keep small hands amused. You can pick up a multimedia guide from the Learning Centre to help plan your exploration of the hamlet.

Then test your mettle (geddit?) in The Works, a brand new and exciting interactive area where history is very much hands-on! Hundreds of skilled and busy people spent their working lives here: but what jobs did people do and could you do any of them? Come on over and find out! This highly interactive addition for families throws the realities of the life at Abbeydale into fascinating focus.

You can also catch one of their half term kids' workshops (varying themes), Steam Gatherings or Antiques and Craft Fayres to get some extra bang for your bucks.