page_title: Scunthorpe Steelworks
section_title: Normanby Park works, John Lysaght
hierarchical_section_title: Scunthorpe Steelworks / History / Consolidation (1912–1966) / Normanby Park works, John Lysaght
caption_attribution_description: English: Blast furnaces at John Lysaght's plant, Scunthorpe, England Français&#160;: Hauts fourneaux de l'usine de John Lysaght, Scunthorpe, Angleterre
context_page_description: The Iron and Steel Industry in Scunthorpe was established in the mid 19th century, following the discovery and exploitation of middle Lias ironstone east of Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England.
  Initially iron ore was exported to iron producers in South Yorkshire. Later, after the construction of the Trent, Ancholme and Grimsby Railway gave rail access to the area local iron production rapidly expanded using local ironstone and imported coal or coke. The local ore was relatively poor in iron and high in lime requiring co-smelting with more acidic silicious iron ores. The growth of industry in the area led to the development of the town of Scunthorpe in a formerly sparsely populated entirely agricultural area.
  From the early 1910s to the 1930s the industry consolidated, with three main ownership concerns formed – the Appleby-Frodingham Steel Company, part of the United Steel Companies; the Redbourn Iron Works, part of Richard Thomas and Company of South Wales; and John Lysaght's Normanby works, part of Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds.
context_section_description: At the beginning of the 20th century John Lysaght was seeking entry to primary steel production to feed his rolling mills in South Wales. A  number of schemes were considered including a works at Newport, South Wales; the acquisition of the Westbury Iron Company (Wiltshire); or a new works near Scunthorpe. Discussions and agreement with Sir Berkeley Sheffield on a lease of the iron ore containing land were made in 1905, and the decision was taken to establish a steelworks, with the estimated capital cost at under £350,000.
  During the Depression of 1920–21 the works was temporarily closed – iron and steel production was resumed in 1922 but the works operated at under capacity for the remainder of the decade. At the beginning of the Great Depression of the 1930s the works was reconstructed at a cost of £400,000 to specialise outside general mass market steels – as a result capacity utilising was at 80% compared to an industry average of nearer 50%, though with very low profit margins. During this period the works was primary supplier to the company's Orb Works in Newport.
  Due to oversupply in the industry the blast furnaces were again temporarily shut down in 1938. In 1939 the company was notified by government official that the works work be required to supply steel for projectile Shells.
  During the post war period the works was planned to increase output to 500,000 ingot tons pa – by 1955 this figure had been exceeded with production at 600,000 tons pa. Two Linz-Donawitz process converters of 60 tons capacity each were installed in 1964.
caption: Blast furnaces at John Lysaght's works c. 1911
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