Wood Tools at Beehive Works
Beehive Works, 90 Milton Street, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S3
Purpose-built for the production of cutlery in the late 1850s and added to c.1890, Beehive Works is Grade II* listed and is one of only two such industrial type buildings with that level of listed status remaining in Sheffield. It was identified as being of special architectural and historic importance by English Heritage, and is marked out as one of the best surviving examples of buildings associated with Sheffield’s metal manufacturing and working trades.
No longer a functioning factory, the building was placed on Historic England’s 'At Risk Register' in 2018. But it is still home to one of Sheffield’s last remaining hand grinders of steel tools, Wood Tools, who occupy the workshop of Brian Alcock, Sheffield's last jobbing grinder who is commemorated by a plaque on the wall.
You can view demonstrations of the traditional hand-grinding of steel blades:
Monday 15th - Friday 19th 10.00-13.00
Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st 10.00-16.00
Beehive Works, 90 Milton Street, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S3