Low Moor ironworks
The ironworks around 1855
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 Low Moor in West Yorkshire
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| Built | 13 August 1791 |
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| Location | Low Moor, Bradford, England |
| Coordinates | 53°45′10″N 1°46′08″W / 53.752762°N 1.768988°WCoordinates: 53°45′10″N 1°46′08″W / 53.752762°N 1.768988°W |
| Industry | Ironworking |
| Products | Wrought iron |
| Defunct | 1920 |
The Low Moor Ironworks was a wrought iron foundry established in 1791 in the village of Low Moor about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Bradford in Yorkshire, England. The works were built to exploit the high-quality iron ore and low-sulphur coal found in the area. Low Moor made wrought iron products from 1801 until 1957 for export around the world. At one time it was the largest ironworks in Yorkshire, a major complex of mines, piles of coal and ore, kilns, blast furnaces, forges and slag heaps connected by railway lines. The surrounding countryside was littered with waste, and smoke from the furnaces and machinery blackened the sky. Today Low Moor is still industrial, but the pollution has been mostly eliminated.
The ironworks depended on the excellent resources of high-quality coal and iron ore found in the vicinity. The "better bed" coal came from a seam about 18 to 28 inches (460 to 710 mm) thick resting on hard sandstone. This coal is particularly low in sulphur. About 120 feet (37 m) above this coal seam there is a layer of "black bed" coal. The ironstone lies above this layer, holding about 32% iron. The Halifax coal beds lie about 230 yards (210 m) below the better bed. At the time the ironworks were developed recent technological advances had made it practical to smelt iron using coal rather than charcoal and to use steam engines to power the steps in production of iron goods.
Most of the land occupied by the iron works was part of the Royds Hall estate. Operation of a coal mine on the estate is mentioned in 1673. In 1744 the owner, Edward Rookes Leeds, began to actively develop the coal mines. About 1780 a wooden railway was built from the Low Moor mines to the coal yard in the centre of Bradford, from where the coal could be carried via the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Soon after, Leeds went bankrupt. The property was twice offered for sale by auction, in December 1786 and October 1787, but no suitable offer was made. Leeds committed suicide in 1787.
In 1788 the estate was sold to a partnership of Richard Hird, a country gentleman, John Preston and John Jarratt for ₤34,000. After some sales of shares the partners were Richard Hird, Joseph Dawson, a minister, and John Hardy, a solicitor. Dawson was interested in metallurgy and chemistry and was a close friend of Dr. Joseph Priestley. He seems to have been the prime mover in the enterprise. The partners planned to found an ironworks, and engaged an engineer from Wigan named Smalley to build the blast engine. Smalley called on Thomas Woodcock to prepare plans for the furnaces, casting houses and other works. Woodcock moved to Low Moor, and was to be architect and general manager until his death in 1833.
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Wikipedia