Steel city

Scunthorpe's steelworks is the UK's largest steel processing centre - at over 3 square miles, it's the size of a town.

View from north

It's one of Tata Steel Europe's two major integrated plants in the UK with facilities such as four blast furnaces, continuous casting and a rod mill. It employs over 4000 people (excluding contractors) and is noted for heavy pollution.

History

On checking an old map, I can see iron working was present on the same site (and others) at the turn of the 19/20th century but the Scunthorpe was tiny by comparison. Some key dates include:
1860 - iron ore first mined in Scunthorpe
1967 - British Steel nationalised
1988 - British Steel privatised
1999 - becomes Corus
2007 - Corus acquired by Tata

The Visit

The Tata works cover the majority of the area. Entering by car via Brigg Road puts you within distance of several central plants.

There's an oily, chemical, sooty smell. Naturally, there's a lot of dirt and blackness, and the heavy cloud added to the brilliant gloominess. Reddish coloured pipes and grey shafts crisscross the many roads and railway lines, connecting plant with plant. Vents billow steam at every turn, safety notices are everywhere, and road names like Basic Slag Road and Ore Blending Road give clues to the function of the numerous areas.

Most plants are active, with hums and clangs and whirs and hisses adding to the soundscape. Around the central blast furnace works the giant metal arms come together and flow into and around the furnace towers.

On with the photos..

View from west

Entrance to the 'Four Queens of Ironmaking', the blast furnace area

Miscellaneous shots