Abbeydale Hamlet is a steel working site with a very long history. There is evidence that metal working has been carried out on or near the present site since before 1200 AD. The site has been used for iron forging for at least 500 years. Following Benjamin Huntsman's invention of the crucible steel making process at the end of the 18th century, the Hamlet became a scythe-making works using crucible steel made on the Abbeydale site. It is now an industrial museum showing the processes used to turn blister steel into high quality crucible steel and then into scythes and other sharp edged cutting tools. The buildings and furnaces, the water wheels and the machinery they operate, have been preserved and can be used to demonstrate the old skills on special occasions. Museum, Shop and Cafe. Tel: 0114 272 2106, Fax: 0114 275 7847