Holwell Steel Works, Ashfordby

The Holwell Iron Works, commonly known as Holwell Steel Works, is located at Asfordby Hill near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. It was established following the discovery of rich ironstone deposits in the area during the 1870s. In 1875, the Holwell Iron Company was formed to exploit these resources, and construction of the works began in 1878. The first blast furnace was brought into operation in 1881, making Holwell the only site in Leicestershire to produce iron using blast furnaces.

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the works expanded rapidly. Additional blast furnaces, coke ovens, a foundry, workshops and an extensive network of narrow-gauge railways were built to transport ironstone from nearby quarries. The growth of the works also encouraged the development of Asfordby Hill, with housing and community facilities provided for employees and their families.

In 1918, the Holwell Iron Company became part of the Stanton Ironworks Company, and after the Second World War the site passed to Stewarts & Lloyds. By the 1960s, imported pig iron had become more economical than producing iron from local ore, leading to the closure of the blast furnaces and nearby ironstone quarries. The furnaces were demolished in 1962–63, bringing an end to over eighty years of iron smelting.

Rather than closing completely, Holwell adapted by modernising its foundry operations. New automated moulding and melting facilities enabled the works to continue manufacturing high-quality cast-iron products using recycled iron rather than locally mined ore. Today, under the ownership of Saint-Gobain PAM UK, the site produces drainage and highway products such as access covers and gully gratings. Holwell remains an important part of Leicestershire's industrial heritage, representing more than 140 years of engineering, manufacturing and innovation, while continuing to provide skilled employment in the local area.