c. 1834 - "Pig iron and castings are stated to be produced on site", the latter referring to a foundry working on the site. During the Nineteenth Century the foundry would have served the needs of the blast furnaces and local firms requiring small castings.
Extensive development of foundry work commenced about 1900. The Earl of Dudley's Castle Hill engineering works provided the main outlet for work development. Baggeridge Colliery provided an outlet for shaped cast iron plated, or "tubbing" for lining the shaft. Many items were cast for use in the Earl's iron and steelworks, especially the repair of worn "wabbler" or frive ends of rolls used in the mills.
Automobile cylinder blocks in cast iron and aluminium aero-engine cylinders were produced during 1914 -18. The coal strike of 1921 saw many of the pits become flooded and abandoned. Therefore, the foundry had to look for new outlets.
In 1925, the Earl of Dudley ceased to have any connection with the firm and a new management took over.
| Reference: | 359 |
| Keywords: | Coneygre Foundry |
| Archive Ref: | EB 1A 1994/013/1209 "The Coneygre Story" by W.K.V. Gale Lib & BCLM |
| Updated: | 22/8/2000 10:55:18 |