The Stanton Ironworks

Stanton Ironworks go back to 1846 when Chesterfield man, Benjamin Smith and his son Josiah, brought three blast-furnaces into production alongside the banks of the Nutbrook Canal. The Stanton Ironworks, located south of Ilkeston in New Stanton, held the prestigious title of being the largest manufacturing establishment in the town and, as a result, served as its primary source of employment. The esteemed Stanton and Staveley group eventually became a division of the Tubes Division within the British Steel Corporation. During its peak, this company proudly provided jobs to approximately 12,500 individuals, with a staggering 7,000 dedicated employees stationed at the bustling Stanton works.