Editing Stocksbridge

{{Short description|Town and civil parish in South Yorkshire, England}}
{{For|similarly named places|Stockbridge (disambiguation){{!}}Stockbridge}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox UK place
| static_image_name        = Stocksbridge from Nanny Hill - geograph.org.uk - 1032439.jpg
| static_image_caption     = The town from Nanny Hill
| country                  = England
| official_name            = Stocksbridge
| coordinates              = {{coord|53.478|-1.588|display=inline,title}}
| civil_parish             = Stocksbridge
| metropolitan_borough     = [[City of Sheffield|Sheffield]]
| metropolitan_county      = [[South Yorkshire]]
| region                   = Yorkshire and the Humber
| constituency_westminster = [[Penistone and Stocksbridge (UK Parliament constituency)|Penistone and Stocksbridge]]
| population               = 9,869
| population_ref           = (2017 [[Sheffield City Council|SCC]])<ref>{{cite web |title=Stocksbridge and Deepcar |url=https://democracy.sheffield.gov.uk/documents/s4602/10%20c%20-%20Appendix%203%20-%20Profile%20Older%20People%20Stocksbridge.pdf |website=democracy.sheffield.gov |access-date=9 November 2023 |page=79}}</ref>
| post_town                = SHEFFIELD
| postcode_district        = S36
| postcode_area            = S
| dial_code                = 0114
| os_grid_reference        = 
| type                     = Town
}}

'''Stocksbridge''' is a town and [[civil parishes in England|civil parish]], it is encircled to the north and east by the southern edge of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, although since 1974 it lies within the borders of the [[City of Sheffield]], in [[South Yorkshire]], England. The town is approximately {{convert|9|mi|km}} from [[Barnsley]] and {{convert|10|mi|km}} from [[Sheffield]].

[[Historic counties of England|Historically]] part of the [[West Riding of Yorkshire]], it lies just to the east of the [[Peak District]]. The town is located in the steep-sided valley of the [[Little Don River]], below the [[Underbank Reservoir]]. It blends into the areas of [[Deepcar]], [[Bolsterstone]] and the eastern end of [[Ewden valley]] around Ewden village, which are also within the civil parish. The population of the civil parish as of the 2011 census was 13,455.<ref>{{NOMIS2011|id=1170210933|title=Stocksbridge Parish|access-date=1 October 2018}}</ref>

== Early history ==
[[File:Stocksbridge Town Hall - geograph.org.uk - 4627496.jpg|thumb|left|[[Stocksbridge Town Hall]]]]
[[File:Stocksbridge - Little Don Outlet - geograph.org.uk - 1396745.jpg|thumb|258px|The [[Little Don]]]]
Until the early 18th century, what is now Stocksbridge was a [[deciduous]]ly wooded valley, running from [[Midhopestones]] at its northwestern extremity to [[Deepcar]] at its southeastern end. A river, originally called the Hunshelf Water and later renamed the [[Little Don]], ran through the valley. This river was also, unofficially, called the Porter, probably on account of its peaty colour. A dirt road, connecting [[Sheffield]] with [[Manchester]], ran through the woods adjacent to the river. There were a few stone houses in the valley and a sprinkling of farms on each hillside.<ref name="branston">{{cite book |first=Jack |last=Branston |title=History of Stocksbridge |date=1983 |edition=1st |publisher=Stocksbridge Town Council}}</ref>{{rp|38}}
[[File:Stocksbridge Works Institute - geograph.org.uk - 1033361.jpg|thumb|270px|The works institute]]
In 1716 John Stocks, a local farmer and landowner, occupied a [[fulling]] mill halfway along the valley where a [[floodplain|flood plain]], created by meltwater at the end of the last [[ice age]], extended southwest from the river. Here he reputedly built a footbridge over the river, perhaps so that his workforce could reach the mill from their homes on the north side. This originally wooden structure, Stocks' Bridge, gave the place its name, not only because it was about the only thing there apart from the mill itself,<ref name="branston" />{{rp|40}} but also because as a crossing place it appeared under that name on Thomas Jeffrey's map of 1772, so establishing itself as a place name. On various occasions, this bridge was destroyed by flooding, and it was eventually replaced by a stone structure in 1812.<ref>{{cite web |title=Stocksbridge Area|publisher=Stocksbridge and District History Society |url=http://www.stocksbridgehs.co.uk/archive/stocksbridge/|access-date=12 December 2016}}</ref>

In 1794 three businessmen, Jonathan Denton, Benjamin Grayson and Thomas Cannon,<ref name="branston" />{{rp|15}} built a large cotton mill extremely close by, or possibly upon, the site of the original mill.

The [[Church of St Matthias, Stocksbridge|parish church of St Matthias]] was consecrated in 1890.

Stocksbridge historically straddled the large parishes of [[Penistone]] and [[Ecclesfield]]. In 1872 a [[Local board of health#Local Government Act 1858|local government district]] called Stocksbridge was created, governed by an elected local board.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=23888|page=3741|date=20 August 1872}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=23923|page=5616|date=26 November 1872}}</ref> Such districts were converted into [[urban district (England and Wales)|urban districts]] in 1894. The current [[Stocksbridge Town Hall]] was constructed in 1928. The district was merged into the [[City of Sheffield]] in 1974.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sources for the History of Stocksbridge |url=https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/sites/default/files/docs/libraries-and-archives/archives-and-local-studies/local-area-history/stocksbridge-community-history.pdf |website=Sheffield Libraries |publisher=Sheffield City Council |access-date=29 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=SAMR010.jpg |url=https://www.stocksbridgehs.co.uk/collection/?sid=1151&q=&p=1 |website=Stocksbridge & District History Society |access-date=29 December 2023}}</ref>

==Steel industry==
[[File:Samuel Fox buildings at Stocksbridge Steelworks - geograph.org.uk - 2637941.jpg|thumb|right|Buildings of Samuel Fox's works. The large structure in the background is the original cotton mill.]]
The valley bottom today is almost entirely occupied by [[steel]] works. [[Samuel Fox (industrialist)|Samuel Fox]] acquired the old cotton mill in 1842, at first renting it from its then owner, Joshua Newton. Nine years later, in 1851, he purchased the mill outright from Joshua's son, Thomas Newton. Fox converted the place to use as a wire mill, and built much of the infrastructure of Stocksbridge, primarily to house his new workforce and to supply their needs. The wire was initially for textile pins, but around 1848 the business expanded to include wire for [[umbrella]] frames which led to Fox developing the “Paragon” umbrella frame in 1851.

The business continued to expand, and extended into different products, but underwent a major change in direction in the early 1860s when Fox realized that he could save large amounts of money by making his own steel for the wire, rather than buying it in. Furnaces and a rolling mill were installed, which in turn allowed the production of railway lines and springs. The business was incorporated into a limited company in 1871.

Between 1872 and 1877 a railway line was built to link the works with the [[Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway]] at [[Deepcar railway station]]. This was the [[Stocksbridge Railway]], which existed as a subsidiary company until 1992. Although the Sheffield to Manchester route via the [[Woodhead Tunnel]] was closed to traffic in 1981, a single-track section from Sheffield to Stocksbridge via Deepcar remains to serve the steel works.

Samuel Fox & Co joined [[Steel, Peech and Tozer]] at [[Templeborough]] to form the United Steel Companies (USC) following the [[World War I|First World War]]. From then on the products of the USC sites were coordinated so that each works specialised in set products. Fox’s specialised in special steel produce such as spring steel and stainless steels. This developed into the manufacture of high-quality steel for the aviation industry. One specialised department assembled and tested springs for [[Rolls-Royce Limited|Rolls-Royce]] cars.

During the Second World War, 'Sammy Fox's' Steelworks was kept busy as part of the war effort. During the [[Sheffield Blitz]] by the Luftwaffe, the bombers used the dam at the end of Stocksbridge as a turning point for their run back toward Sheffield.

Following nationalisation in 1967, the [[British Steel Corporation]] split the stainless steel departments off into a separate business which by 2004 had become part of [[Outokumpu]].

During the 1980s and 1990s, the Stocksbridge works was part of the United Engineering Steels group (a joint venture between British Steel and GKN) and was known as "Stocksbridge Engineering Steels".

In 1999 the works were taken over by [[Corus Group|Corus]] and are part of the Corus Engineering Steels (CES) group. Although for several years Corus ran at a loss, it returned to profit, in part helped by a rise in demand for steel caused by Chinese economic activity.

Steel manufacture in Stocksbridge had always been by melting iron and steel firstly in [[crucible]]s (from 1860), then [[Bessemer converter]]s (from 1862) and Siemens Open Hearth Furnaces (from 1899 until 1968) and lastly [[Electric arc furnace]]s (from 1939 until 2005). Iron has never been produced from iron ore at Fox's, by any method.

In October 2006, Corus was taken over by the [[India]]n company [[Tata Steel|Tata]]. Corus Engineering Steels (Stocksbridge site) was renamed Tata Steels Speciality. During the 2008 recession Stocksbridge works reduced its workforce and output, focusing on producing lower quantities of high-value product for the aerospace and oil and gas markets. After the recession the company returned to profitability and began investing once again. In 2011 £6.5&nbsp;million was invested in boosting the site's ability to produce aerospace steel, and further developments were planned for 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blmforum.net/en/blm/headline/1888/%C2%A365-million-investment-trials-to-begin-in-Stocksbridge--Home-rest.htm |title=Business Link Magazine |first=Ljuba |last=Rankovic |work=blmforum.net |access-date=2 February 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150202195042/http://www.blmforum.net/en/blm/headline/1888/%C2%A365-million-investment-trials-to-begin-in-Stocksbridge--Home-rest.htm |archive-date=2 February 2015 }}</ref>

In December 2015 Tata came under investigation by the [[Serious Fraud Office (United Kingdom)|Serious Fraud Office]] in connection with the alleged falsification of certificates guaranteeing the quality of its speciality steels. This was then followed in early 2016 by an announcement from Tata that they would be selling their entire steelmaking interests in the UK, due, they said, to crippling electricity prices in the UK which are more than double the price in the [[European Union]] and in other competing countries, and to large volumes of cheap steel which are being  exported to the west by China. If a buyer could not be found, then steelmaking in the Stocksbridge valley would finally end, after almost 160 years.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Guardian |date=8 April 2016 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/apr/08/tata-steel-crisis-senior-staff-suspended-sfo-probe |first=Graham |last=Ruddick |title=Tata Steel crisis deepens with senior staff suspended amid SFO probe |access-date=12 December 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Guardian |date=30 March 2016 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/apr/08/tata-steel-crisis-senior-staff-suspended-sfo-probe |first1=Graham |last1=Ruddick |first2=Heather |last2=Stewart |title=Tata Steel to sell off entire British business |access-date=12 December 2016}}</ref>

On 9 February 2017 it was announced by Tata and by the [[Liberty House Group]], that the latter had purchased Tata's entire UK steelmaking operation for GBP 100 million. This has secured the continuation of steelmaking in the Stocksbridge valley.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report-tata-steel-agrees-to-sell-speciality-steel-biz-to-liberty-house-2317615|title=Tata Steel agrees to sell speciality steel biz to Liberty House – Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis|date=9 February 2017|website=dnaindia.com|access-date=12 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.libertyhousegroup.com/news/liberty-closes-deal-to-acquire-tata-speciality-steels/|title=Liberty closes deal to acquire Tata Speciality Steels – Liberty House Group|website=www.libertyhousegroup.com|access-date=12 April 2018}}</ref> In May 2021 Liberty Steel Group put the Stocksbridge business up for sale, a consequence of the collapse of [[Greensill Capital]] in March 2021.<ref>{{cite web|last=Casci|first=Mark|date=24 May 2021|title=Liberty Steel Group confirms it is to sell its Stocksbridge business placing future of 1,500 jobs in doubt|url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/business/liberty-steel-group-confirms-it-is-to-sell-its-stocksbridge-business-placing-future-of-1500-jobs-in-doubt-3247885|access-date=25 May 2021|website=www.yorkshirepost.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Pratley|first=Nils|date=24 May 2021|title=Liberty Steel wants to buy time, but who will want to snap up its assets?|url=http://www.theguardian.com/business/nils-pratley-on-finance/2021/may/24/liberty-steel-wants-to-buy-time-but-who-will-want-to-snap-up-its-assets|access-date=25 May 2021|website=The Guardian}}</ref>

== Transport ==
The main road from Sheffield to [[Manchester]] passed through the town until the [[A616 road#Stocksbridge bypass|A616 Stocksbridge bypass]] opened in 1988. The new road links the [[M1 motorway]] at Junction 35A (and J36) to the [[A628 road|A628]] (which is one of the main trans-[[Pennines|Pennine]] routes from Sheffield to Manchester) bypassing the towns of Stocksbridge and [[Deepcar]], diverting the steelworks traffic away from passing through the town.

Stocksbridge has bus services that connect the town to [[Sheffield City Centre]], [[Middlewood tram stop]] and [[Barnsley Interchange]]. The 57/57A (operated by [[Stagecoach Yorkshire]]) runs every 30 minutes. The 57 serves Unsliven Bridge (the western part of the town) to Sheffield City Centre, and the 57A serves Stocksbridge Leisure Centre and Worrall to Sheffield City Centre. Service 201 (operated by South Pennine Community Transport) runs hourly connecting Stocksbridge to Chapeltown. Service 23/23A (South Pennine Community Transport<ref>{{cite web |url=https://southpenninect.co.uk/BusServices |title=Sheffield Connect |publisher=South Pennine Community Transport |access-date=30 January 2024}}</ref>) connects Stocksbridge to Millhouse Green hourly, and Barnsley twice a day. Smaller services, such as the 34 and the 26 (also operated by South Pennine Community Transport), serve Northern College to Barnsley Interchange and Penistone, respectively.

A railway line runs from Stocksbridge to Sheffield via Deepcar, but is currently used only for steel freight trains.  Proposals are regularly made to re-open it as a passenger line.

== Culture ==

The British Steel Stocksbridge Band [sic] is credited with performing "Slaidburn" in the trailer of the 1997 film ''[[The Full Monty]]''.  Stocksbridge Engineering Steels Brass Band has since been renamed to Unite the Union Band. Deepcar Brass Band remains locally.

Nearby Bolsterstone is home to a well-known male voice choir led by male vocalist Alan Rodgers, particularly noted for its performances of Sheffield local carols.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.localcarols.org.uk/sings.php |title=Local Carol Sings 2015 |publisher=localcarols.org.uk |date=2015 |access-date=10 December 2015}}</ref>

Stocksbridge has a strong amateur theatre group called Steel Valley Beacon which produces Shakespeare and other plays every year.

[[Mathcore]] band [[Rolo Tomassi]] were formed and are still based in Stocksbridge.  Some of the [[Arctic Monkeys]], and the vocalist of [[Bring Me the Horizon]], are from Stocksbridge and attended Stocksbridge School.

== Media == 
Local news and television programmes are provided by [[BBC Yorkshire]] and [[ITV Yorkshire]]. Television signals are received from the [[Emley Moor transmitting station|Emley Moor]] and the local relay TV transmitters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Emley_Moor|title=Emley Moor (Kirklees, England) Full Freeview transmitter|date=1 May 2004|website=UK Free TV|accessdate=16 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Stocksbridge|title=Freeview Light on the Stocksbridge (Barnsley, England) transmitter|date=1 May 2004|website=UK Free TV|accessdate=16 October 2023}}</ref>

Local radio stations are [[BBC Radio Sheffield]] on 104.1&nbsp;FM, [[Greatest Hits Radio Yorkshire]] on 102.0&nbsp;FM, [[Heart Yorkshire]] on 107.7&nbsp;FM, [[Capital Yorkshire]] on 105.1&nbsp;FM, [[Hits Radio South Yorkshire]] on 102.9&nbsp;FM and Penistone FM on 95.7 FM.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.penistonefm.co.uk/|title=Penistone FM|access-date=16 October 2023}}</ref> 

The town is served by the local newspaper ''Look Local Newspaper''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.looklocal.org.uk/ |title=Look Local Newspaper |access-date=16 October 2023}}</ref>

==Sport==
The town's local football club, [[Stocksbridge Park Steels]], was founded in 1986 following the merger of [[Stocksbridge Works F.C.|Stocksbridge Works]] and Oxley Park FC. Their home ground is Bracken Moor, located at the eastern end of the town. The club plays in the [[Northern Premier League]] Division One East and also organises many youth teams, for ages 8 to 18.

[[Stocksbridge Church F.C.|Stocksbridge Church]] was the first to represent the town in the [[FA Cup]], in 1910.

==Notable residents==
*[[Samuel Fox (industrialist)|Samuel Fox]], industrialist and businessman, founder of [[Samuel Fox and Company]] and [[Hoyland Fox|Fox Umbrella Frames Ltd]].<ref>{{cite web| archiveurl =  https://web.archive.org/web/20061217061127/http://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/NR/rdonlyres/EBD383E8-54B7-4376-83EA-227EC6BBA181/0/SamuelFox1815.pdf| url = http://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/NR/rdonlyres/EBD383E8-54B7-4376-83EA-227EC6BBA181/0/SamuelFox1815.pdf| archive-date =17 December 2006| title = Samuel Fox 1815 – 1887 |work = travelsouthyorkshire.com|access-date=9 November 2023}}</ref>
*[[Geoff Denial]], professional footballer for Sheffield United and Oxford United, was born in Stocksbridge.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rageonline.co.uk/mainpage/player/486/ |title=Player statistics: Geoff Denial |publisher=Rage Online |access-date=7 May 2019}}</ref>
*[[Peter Eustace]], former [[Sheffield Wednesday F. C.|Sheffield Wednesday]] midfielder, manager, and [[1966 FA Cup Final]] player, was born in Stocksbridge.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hugman |first1=Barry J. |title=The PFA Premier & Football League players' records 1946–2015 |date=2015 |publisher=G2 Entertainment |isbn=9781782811671|page=269}}</ref>
*[[Oli Sykes]], vocalist of [[Bring Me the Horizon]] and owner of Drop Dead Clothing, grew up in Stocksbridge and attended [[Stocksbridge High School]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://artistwiki.com/oliver-sykes/biography|title=Oliver Sykes biography|work=artistwiki.com|access-date=2 February 2015}}</ref>
*[[Chris Wilder]], former [[Sheffield United F.C|Sheffield United]] player (1986–1992 and 1998–1999) and manager (2016–2021, 2023–), was born in Stocksbridge.<ref>{{Hugman|21068|Chris Wilder|access-date=14 May 2017}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Listed buildings in Stocksbridge]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/libraries/archives-and-local-studies/research-guides/local-history-stocksbridge Sources for the study of the history of Stocksbridge] Produced by Sheffield City Council's Libraries and Archives

{{South Yorkshire}}
{{Districts of Sheffield}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Stocksbridge| ]]
[[Category:Towns and villages of the Peak District]]
[[Category:Ironworks and steelworks in England]]
[[Category:Towns in South Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in South Yorkshire]]