The Brymbo Steel Works Company was formed in 1885 following the successful introduction of steel making by basic open-hearth furnaces. It later became known under a number of names including the "Brymbo Coal, Iron & Steel Ingot Co", the Brymbo Steel and Ingot Co, Brymbo Steel Works (Successors) Co, (following closure for some three years in the early 1930s), Brymbo Steel Works Co. Ltd, and finally as Brymbo Works, United Engineering Steels (part of the British Steel Corporation).

Last Tap of Open Hearth Furnaces (1959)

During 1894, Mr. Derby, then works manager and director, introduced a bank of 33 coke ovens to replace the old bee-hive type. They were of Belgian design and were the first by-product ovens in the U.K. They supplied coke to the Brymbo Blast Furnace, with some of the by-products being ammonia, benzol, naphtha etc. These ovens remained operational until 1936 before being shutdown. Following the closure of these ovens, coke for blast furnace use was imported to the site from Shotton, south Wales and Yorkshire. Electric arc furnaces were introduced at Brymbo in 1940 to supply high quality grades of steel to the aeronautical, and armaments industries. They were installed in what became known as Electric Melting Shop 1 (EMS 1). In the same time period a 10" rolling mill was also installed. This mill apparently produced squares, rounds, hexagons and octagons for despatch to various machinists and forges. The 10" mill ceased production 1946 and was dismantled. The building in which it was housed was later to become the first steel inspection department.

	Guest Keen and Nettlefold (GKN) became interested in Brymbo in 1948, mainly due to efforts by the then managing director, Esmond Morse. By 1955 plans were already underway for a considerable expansion programme at the steel plant. Had these changes had not taken place at this stage, Brymbo Steelworks may not have survived for long with its open hearth furnaces.
Transfer of Slag Bank for building of Electric Melting Shop
	Part of the expansion plans included provision for a new Electric Arc Melting Shop. This required a massive transfer of slag from one side of the works bank to the other. To allow access to Brymbo village, a road "tunnel" was constructed under the bank (the "tunnel" was actually prefabricated out of concrete and then covered over).
"Tunnel" being covered over
	Following the closure of the open hearth furnaces in 1959, the new Melting Shop, known as EMS 2 then undertook the larger part of steel production. Within that building were three 40-tonne furnaces, a pre-refiner vessel and a mixer. At this period Brymbo was one of the few steel plants in the U.K. to have all electric melting facilities.
Checking Last Tap of Open Hearth Furnaces (1959)
Frame of EMS 2 being constructed on relocated Slag Bank
	In 1961 the Cogging Mill was commissioned, permitting the melting shops to produce larger ingot sizes. In 1964 a new inspection department was commissioned for the rectification and despatch of material. With these expansion programs and the advances in steel-making technology at EMS 2, EMS 1 became increasingly uneconomical with its three furnaces of only 25 tonnes capacity. By the time EMS 1 closed in 1972, EMS 2 could produce the same tonnage with one furnace that EMS 1 could produce with three furnaces.
Cogging Mill
	During the 1980s an additional furnace was introduced into EMS 2, later to become known as " Big D". By the time that the steelworks closed in 1990, it was capable of producing 100 tonnes of steel in one hour. Secondary steelmakers and degassing units were also installed into EMS2.
Big "D" - D furnace in E.M.S.2
	In 1976 work commenced on the Billet and Bar Mill. The mill cost around £50 million and was commissioned in June of 1980. It replaced the old 28” Mill. Within the Billet and Bar Mill were two large stocking areas with three bloom grinders, a re-heating furnace capable of holding 90 blooms, three mills, two saw lines, four hot saws, cooling beds, and cooling pits. The building was quarter of a mile long and an eighth of a mile wide.
Finishing Mill Area inside Billet and Bar Mill
	Annexed to the mill building was a new inspection department designed to accommodate material directly from the mill before final despatch. This building then became known as Number 3 Inspection.
Inside Number Three Inspection

On the 14th of May, 1990, the complete closure of the steelworks was announced. 1,125 employees lost their jobs in addition to those who worked for suppliers and contractors.

	The last steel melted at Brymbo was produced on the 27th of September 1990. That morning marked the end of 197 years of iron and steel manufacture.
"D" furnace still warm after its final ever tap.
	The Cogging Mill rolled its last bloom in October of that year. By February 1991 the last billets had been despatched from the inspection departments.
The last ever bloom passing through the Cogging Mill

At its peak in the early 1970s, Brymbo Steelworks employed almost 2500 people.

Many sections of plant including "D" furnace and the Billet and Bar Mill were sold to steel companies in China.

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