1. The History
Located in the Middlewood area of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, British Acheson Electrodes Limited (BAEL) was founded in 1915 to manufacture amorphous carbon and graphite electrodes and rods. The rods were screwed together to make the electrodes used in arc furnaces for the steel industry. Locally, it used to be called the “black lead factory” because everyone working there got covered in graphite. The dawn of nuclear power in the 1950's and developed of the Advanced Gas Cooled Reactor (AGR) lead to renewed demand for graphite cores, which helped control the reaction, renewing the demand for BAEL’s products.
In 1976, the plant employed 850 people, most of whom were local Sheffield residents. Around this time, US industrial giant, Union Carbide bought out Achesons and opened their graphite plant in the late 1970s. In the 1980's, the UK nuclear industry switched to Pressurised Water Reactors (PWR), based on an American design. The impact of this, plus the decline of the demand from the steel industry, sounded the death nell of the Claywheels Lane factory. UC faced further difficulties in 1984 when tank leak at Union Carbide's refinery in Bhopal, India resulted in over half-a-million people being exposed to the highly toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and the subsequent deaths of nearly 4,000 people. The plant finally closed in the early 90's. Union Carbide had three other graphite plants in Europe, one located in France, which they felt could be used to supply the UK market.
In 2008, part of the Sheffield site was being used for Airsoft. Since then, the site has remained largely derelict with the four large chimneys and water tower dominating the local skyline, until they were demolished on the morning of Sunday 2nd March, 2025 at 8am, much to the surprise and shock of many local residents who’d not be informed about the demolition. The demolition was in planned for six months and went to plan safely.
2. The Explore
This place had a bit of traffic on here between 2006-2008, then nothing until @JaffaTB ans his excellent report HERE from 2023, which put this place back on my radar. I eventually got round to having a wander here with a view to climbing the iconic water tower. With the on-site security man, a little too active for this, we decided to come back and do it another day. However, that day never materialised and with surprise demolition of the chimneys and water tower, never will. Hence, thought it was timely to post the pictures I did get on that October morning, back in 2023.
3. The Pictures
Through the woods we go:
And to the first bit of graff:
The next thing you come to are the works former utilities:
Nice bit of Brayk:
Then on to this old factory wall which, quite frankly, has the best selection of graff I’ve ever soon:
Including this piece by MARRS:
On towards the main site:
Salvage work:
Hardware:
The legendary water tower:
More utilities:
The clean water recovery pump house:
Located in the Middlewood area of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, British Acheson Electrodes Limited (BAEL) was founded in 1915 to manufacture amorphous carbon and graphite electrodes and rods. The rods were screwed together to make the electrodes used in arc furnaces for the steel industry. Locally, it used to be called the “black lead factory” because everyone working there got covered in graphite. The dawn of nuclear power in the 1950's and developed of the Advanced Gas Cooled Reactor (AGR) lead to renewed demand for graphite cores, which helped control the reaction, renewing the demand for BAEL’s products.
In 1976, the plant employed 850 people, most of whom were local Sheffield residents. Around this time, US industrial giant, Union Carbide bought out Achesons and opened their graphite plant in the late 1970s. In the 1980's, the UK nuclear industry switched to Pressurised Water Reactors (PWR), based on an American design. The impact of this, plus the decline of the demand from the steel industry, sounded the death nell of the Claywheels Lane factory. UC faced further difficulties in 1984 when tank leak at Union Carbide's refinery in Bhopal, India resulted in over half-a-million people being exposed to the highly toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and the subsequent deaths of nearly 4,000 people. The plant finally closed in the early 90's. Union Carbide had three other graphite plants in Europe, one located in France, which they felt could be used to supply the UK market.
In 2008, part of the Sheffield site was being used for Airsoft. Since then, the site has remained largely derelict with the four large chimneys and water tower dominating the local skyline, until they were demolished on the morning of Sunday 2nd March, 2025 at 8am, much to the surprise and shock of many local residents who’d not be informed about the demolition. The demolition was in planned for six months and went to plan safely.
2. The Explore
This place had a bit of traffic on here between 2006-2008, then nothing until @JaffaTB ans his excellent report HERE from 2023, which put this place back on my radar. I eventually got round to having a wander here with a view to climbing the iconic water tower. With the on-site security man, a little too active for this, we decided to come back and do it another day. However, that day never materialised and with surprise demolition of the chimneys and water tower, never will. Hence, thought it was timely to post the pictures I did get on that October morning, back in 2023.
3. The Pictures
Through the woods we go:
And to the first bit of graff:
The next thing you come to are the works former utilities:
Nice bit of Brayk:
Then on to this old factory wall which, quite frankly, has the best selection of graff I’ve ever soon:
Including this piece by MARRS:
On towards the main site:
Salvage work:
Hardware:
The legendary water tower:
More utilities:
The clean water recovery pump house:
