History
Castmaster Roll, which has operated for over one hundred years, is a former foundry and manufacturing firm located in Sheffield. It was originally known as Davy Roll, the producer of gas lamps, but was renamed in 2003 after it was taken over by Mel Farrar. Castmaster specialised in rollmaking and later became a specialist producer of rolls for the steel industry; for rod, bar, light and medium sections and billet, narrow strip and tube mill applications. Rolls were also produced for the non-ferrous and food processing industries. The company were proud to have supplied Reeling and Roller Straightening in a comprehensive range of steel, adamite, iron and special alloy grades, up to a maximum roll size of 1,150mm diameter by 4,300mm long, with a delivered weight of 12,000 kilos.
By December 2014, administrators were forced to admit that the historic Sheffield foundry was in severe financial difficulty; they warned that the company would fall into administration in 2015. True to their word, Castmaster Roll was dissolved in the early months of 2015, with the loss of 78 jobs. It was revealed, in February 2015, that the firm owed more than £500,000 to creditors; over 140 local and national companies are still owed money in the wake of the collapse of the company and it remains uncertain whether any money will be returned to unsecure creditors. Many people were stunned that the company, which had been successful for many years, had managed to get into this position. Everyone in steel and manufacturing industry across Sheffield were even more shocked when Castmaster Roll was finally forced to close its doors forever. Castmaster Roll was one of the last remaining European suppliers of rolls in the UK
Our Version of Events
This little piece of Sheffield’s formerly booming steel industry only just recently came to my attention, despite having passed it on several occasions this year. It seems that even though the lights were on and the building appeared to be fully functioning, it has deceived everyone temporarily; it has been, for a little while now, abandoned. Regrettably, I was a little late for this one, as demolition has already begun – presumably to redevelop the area into industrial units, or as a base for another company – and some of its key features have been removed. However, there was still fun to be had and I feel that it was well worth a wander over. Although the machine shop has been entirely stripped and the foundry is slowly disappearing, the medical room, air-raid shelter, offices and washhouses are still in excellent condition, so there is certainly still plenty to see.
*A special thanks is owed to ACID-REFLUX for this one; cheers for the heads up and being a detailed source of info.
Castmaster Roll, which has operated for over one hundred years, is a former foundry and manufacturing firm located in Sheffield. It was originally known as Davy Roll, the producer of gas lamps, but was renamed in 2003 after it was taken over by Mel Farrar. Castmaster specialised in rollmaking and later became a specialist producer of rolls for the steel industry; for rod, bar, light and medium sections and billet, narrow strip and tube mill applications. Rolls were also produced for the non-ferrous and food processing industries. The company were proud to have supplied Reeling and Roller Straightening in a comprehensive range of steel, adamite, iron and special alloy grades, up to a maximum roll size of 1,150mm diameter by 4,300mm long, with a delivered weight of 12,000 kilos.
By December 2014, administrators were forced to admit that the historic Sheffield foundry was in severe financial difficulty; they warned that the company would fall into administration in 2015. True to their word, Castmaster Roll was dissolved in the early months of 2015, with the loss of 78 jobs. It was revealed, in February 2015, that the firm owed more than £500,000 to creditors; over 140 local and national companies are still owed money in the wake of the collapse of the company and it remains uncertain whether any money will be returned to unsecure creditors. Many people were stunned that the company, which had been successful for many years, had managed to get into this position. Everyone in steel and manufacturing industry across Sheffield were even more shocked when Castmaster Roll was finally forced to close its doors forever. Castmaster Roll was one of the last remaining European suppliers of rolls in the UK
Our Version of Events
This little piece of Sheffield’s formerly booming steel industry only just recently came to my attention, despite having passed it on several occasions this year. It seems that even though the lights were on and the building appeared to be fully functioning, it has deceived everyone temporarily; it has been, for a little while now, abandoned. Regrettably, I was a little late for this one, as demolition has already begun – presumably to redevelop the area into industrial units, or as a base for another company – and some of its key features have been removed. However, there was still fun to be had and I feel that it was well worth a wander over. Although the machine shop has been entirely stripped and the foundry is slowly disappearing, the medical room, air-raid shelter, offices and washhouses are still in excellent condition, so there is certainly still plenty to see.
*A special thanks is owed to ACID-REFLUX for this one; cheers for the heads up and being a detailed source of info.
Castmaster Roll
The Foundry
High Voltage Areas
The Machine Shop
The Foundry
High Voltage Areas
The Machine Shop
Nicely done matey 
