Blackhall Mill, furnace

The furnace is situated at the north end of the mill race which supplied the Blackhall Steel Works (HER 1017). Remains of the furnace can still be seen. In 1719 the furnace was operated by Wilhelm Bertram, a steel worker from Remscheid in Germany. The furnace was supplying steel to the German swordmakers at Shotley Bridge. Swedish traveller Reinhold Angerstein described the furnace at "Blackermille" in 1753 as being built of sandstone, of similar construction to nearby Derwentcote. Shear Steel was the trademark of Bertram. This was apparently introduced into Sheffield in 1767 by a workman from Blackhall Mill. By 1753 swordmaking activities at Shotley Bridge were winding down. The furnace had only supplied one ton of steel, presumably due to the end of the Napoleonic War. In 1810 and 1825 the furnace was operated by the Cookson family. It was not in use by 1863 and is not shown on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map. It was demolished in 1916 to make way for the new school-house.