150 years of the Shelton Works

Coal could no longer cope as a source of fuel for ironmaking, it produced pig iron unsuitable for the increased steelmaking requirements. Coke was needed instead, and a battery of 40 ovens was built in 1906 along with a washer to prepare the coal for coking.

Help with funding that development, along with an associated by-product plant, was raised when another company was formed called the Coking Company Ltd. Share capital for each of the newly formed companies had grown over the years, and the Coking Company was to be no exception, having £100,000 behind it is 5,000 £20 shares.

As previously stated, collieries existed on the Shelton site, but the coal from them was unsuitable for coking. This had two effects. in the short term coal was bought from other areas such as South Wales and transported to the works by rail; in the longer term there was a sustained programme of colliery buying.