Tameside Steel Tube Suppliers

For the best Tameside steel tube suppliers, there is in our opinion only one place to go, Besseges (Valves, Tubes & Fittings) Ltd, as we are Tameside’s leading pipeline supplier; and although we are not manufacturers of steel products, we continue a long exalted tradition started way before our time. The Tameside area has been long associated with the iron and steel industry; in our town of Ashton-under-Lyne, we have what was once Park Bridge iron and steel works. Which became Hannah Lees & Sons Ltd and in neighbouring Stalybridge one of the fledgling businesses that later became the beginnings of The British Steel Corporation, John Summers & Sons Ltd of Globe Works. To learn more about our business as Tameside steel tube suppliers and of course, the other businesses we have mentioned that shaped the borough take the time to read the rest of our blog or to enquire about available steel tube products contact our sales team. 

Tameside Steel Tubes Suppliers & Park Bridge Iron and Steel Works

Just up the road from the leading Tameside steel tube suppliers were once Park Bridge Iron and Steel Works. In 1786 Park Bridge Smithy became Park Bridge Iron Works opened by Samuel Lees on land rented from the Earl of Stamford, the original business Park Bridge Smithy was opened in 1670 by Samuel Lees senior. The original works were located on only 354M² of land in the Alt Hill area of Ashton under Lyne and produced raw iron. At the death of Samuel Lees, his Wife Hannah Lees successfully expanded the business of producing steel and iron products; which included fluted and special rollers for the rapidly growing textile industry in the region inherited the business.

The growth of this business was aided by the coming of the Oldham, Ashton and Guide Bridge Railway, which could transport raw materials to their station and sidings at Park Bridge and finished materials to either Oldham Clegg St or the large railway goods sidings at Guide Bridge. This marvellous enterprise was renamed Hannah Lees & Sons Ltd in her honour after her death and continued manufacturing until its closure in 1963. You can still visit Park Bridge Iron & Steel Works by walking the path of the old railway line, which will lead you to the fascinating Park Bridge Heritage Centre. It is sadly a ruin but gives a great insight into the industrial past of the local area and the history of nearly 300 years of ironworking under the same family.

Tameside Steel Tube Suppliers & the Beginning of British Steel

John Summers & Sons Ltd were not Tameside steel tube suppliers, their relatively humble beginnings were in producing nails for the clog industry as John Summers was a clogger by trade. He branched out producing clog irons as well as nails in 1852 at Sandy Bank Forge. His business grew and expansion required new premises so they set about building a new iron shed in Stalybridge known as Globe Ironworks. After the death of John Summers in 1876, his sons took over this thriving business and having exhausted all possible expansion in Stalybridge in 1896, they opened the Hawarden Bridge Steel Works at Shotton.

Before being nationalised in 1968, this business had over 13000 employees but sadly the history of steel making in Stalybridge ended the following year with the closure of Globe Ironworks. This mighty business was one of the companies that made up The British Steel Corporation in the 1960s, becoming Corus in 1999, which was taken over by TATA Steel in 2007. Here at Besseges (Valves, Tubes & Fittings) Ltd continuing the tradition of supplying steel products, we are one the principal Tameside steel tube suppliers; offering high-quality CE Marked products to the pipeline industry. Besseges (Valves, Tubes & Fittings) Ltd continue to maintain the Tameside area’s proud history of successful businesses associated with the iron and steel industries, working to support many other Tameside companies with products and services.

The Tameside Image Archive has provided the majority of photographs on this Blog; we thank them for their cooperation and support.