William Hazledine
Encyclopedia
William Hazledine was a pioneering Englis
h Ironmaster
whose talent for casting structural ironwork helped to realise the designs of engineers such as Thomas Telford
and architects including Henry Goodridge
and Charles Bage
. Hazledine's expertise in manufacturing and testing large iron castings was critical to the success of these pioneering projects.
Hazledine grew up in a rural setting and was trained as a millwright
. Through a family connection, he took a senior position in a local forge and later set up in business with a partner. After that partnership was dissolved, Hazledine set up a number of foundries supplying large structural castings, notably at Coleham
and Plas Kynaston (Cefn Mawr
). In their time, these were among the most important centres of iron-bridge building expertise in Britain.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
h Ironmaster
Ironmaster
An ironmaster is the manager – and usually owner – of a forge or blast furnace for the processing of iron. It is a term mainly associated with the period of the Industrial Revolution, especially in Great Britain....
whose talent for casting structural ironwork helped to realise the designs of engineers such as Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer, architect and stonemason, and a noted road, bridge and canal builder.-Early career:...
and architects including Henry Goodridge
Henry Goodridge
Henry Edmund Goodridge was an architect whose work started in the 1820s.-Works:Goodridge's neoclassical buildings in Bath include:* Cleveland Bridge;* one of the earliest shopping arcades...
and Charles Bage
Charles Bage
Charles Woolley Bage was an English architect, born in Derby, Derbyshire, in the United Kingdom. He was the designer of the first ever iron framed building, the Ditherington Flax Mill, located in the outskirts of Shrewsbury town centre, built between 1796 and 1797.Shortly after his birth, his...
. Hazledine's expertise in manufacturing and testing large iron castings was critical to the success of these pioneering projects.
Hazledine grew up in a rural setting and was trained as a millwright
Millwright
A millwright is a craftsman or tradesman engaged with the construction and maintenance of machinery.Early millwrights were specialist carpenters who erected machines used in agriculture, food processing and processing lumber and paper...
. Through a family connection, he took a senior position in a local forge and later set up in business with a partner. After that partnership was dissolved, Hazledine set up a number of foundries supplying large structural castings, notably at Coleham
Coleham
Coleham is a district of the town of Shrewsbury in Shropshire, England. It is located just south, over the River Severn, from Shrewsbury town centre....
and Plas Kynaston (Cefn Mawr
Cefn Mawr
Cefn Mawr is a large village in the community of Cefn within the County Borough of Wrexham, Wales. Its name translates as "great ridge".The community of Cefn comprises the villages of Cefn Mawr, Cefn-bychan , Acrefair, Penybryn, Newbridge, Plasmadoc and Rhosymedre and is situated on the northern...
). In their time, these were among the most important centres of iron-bridge building expertise in Britain.
Structures
Hazledine's legacy is a range of spectacular structures including:- Ditherington Flax MillDitherington Flax MillDitherington Flax Mill , located in Ditherington, a suburb of Shrewsbury, England, is the oldest iron framed building in the world. As such, it is seen as the "grandfather of skyscrapers", despite being only as tall as a modern five-story building. Its importance was officially recognised in the...
, ShrewsburyShrewsburyShrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
(1797) - Chirk AqueductChirk AqueductChirk Aqueduct is a high and long navigable aqueduct that carries what is now the Llangollen Canal across the Ceiriog Valley near Chirk, on the England-Wales border....
, Pontcysyllte, (1799) - Bonar BridgeBonar BridgeBonar Bridge is a village on the north bank of the Kyle of Sutherland, in the Parish of Creich in the Highland council area of Scotland.The Kyle of Sutherland is a river estuary of the Rivers Oykel, Cassley, Shin and Carron that all enter the Kyle above the bridge at Bonar.The estuary and the...
, ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
(1811–1812) - Menai BridgeMenai BridgeMenai Bridge is a small town and community on the Isle of Anglesey in north Wales. It overlooks the Menai Strait and lies by the Menai Suspension Bridge, built in 1826 by Thomas Telford...
(1819–1826) - Mythe BridgeMythe BridgeMythe Bridge carries the A438 road across the River Severn at Tewkesbury. It is a cast iron arch bridge spanning 170 feet and 24 feet wide, designed by Thomas Telford and completed in April 1826....
, TewkesburyTewkesburyTewkesbury is a town in Gloucestershire, England. It stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon, and also minor tributaries the Swilgate and Carrant Brook...
(1823–1826) - Aldford Iron BridgeAldford Iron BridgeAldford Iron Bridge is a bridge crossing the River Dee north of the village of Aldford, Cheshire, England, linking the village with Eaton Hall, forming part of the Buerton Approach to the hall . It is a Grade I listed building....
, Eaton HallEaton Hall (Cheshire)Eaton Hall is the country house of the Duke of Westminster. It is set within a large estate south of the village of Eccleston, in Cheshire, England . The house is surrounded by formal gardens, parkland, farmland and woodland. The estate covers an area of about .The first substantial house was...
, CheshireCheshireCheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
(1824) - Conwy Suspension BridgeConwy Suspension BridgeConwy Suspension Bridge, was one of the first road suspension bridges in the world. Located in the medieval town of Conwy in Conwy county borough, North Wales, it is now only passable on foot. The bridge is now in the care of the National Trust...
(1824–1826) - Cleveland BridgeCleveland BridgeCleveland Bridge is a grade II* listed building located in the World Heritage Site of Bath, England. It is notable for the unusual lodges that adorn each corner in a style that could be likened to miniature Greek temples.-Location:...
, Bath (1826) - Stretton AqueductStretton AqueductStretton Aqueduct is a short cast iron canal aqueduct between Stretton and Brewood, and near to Belvide Reservoir, in south Staffordshire, England...
, StaffordshireStaffordshireStaffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
(1832-3)