Swinden House

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Swinden House in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England is a Jacobean style Grade II listed Victorian building. It is located on Corus's (formally British Steel's) Swinden Technology Centre.

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[edit] Pre-Steel 1880-1946

It was built between 1878 and 1880 by Thomas W Badger a member of a well-known Rotherham family, prominent in legal circles and was originally called Red House or as it was frequently termed the “palatial residence”. Several of the rooms on the ground floor are panelled in oak which was obtained from Rotherham Parish Church during the construction of the house.

In 1882 Thomas Badger fled the country[reported by the Rotherham Advertiser], leaving his business in financial confusion and with heavy debts. The house was sold to William H Micklethwait, the owner of an iron foundry at the Clough Works in Masborough. His lived there until his death in 1925 and his widow continued to live there until she died in 1932.

The house remaining empty until 1939 when it was occupied by the National Fire service during the Second World War.

[edit] Steel Industry 1946-2005

In 1946 it was purchased by United Steel and the house was renamed Swinden House in tribute to the first director of research, Dr T Swinden. After considerable refurbishment the house became occupied by research staff.

Swinden House remained as a research centre for the next 60 years, changing ownership in 1995 to British Steel PLC, and then again in 1999 to Corus PLC as a result of the merger with Koninklijke Hoogovens.

[edit] NAMTEC Training and Conference Centre 2005-

In 2005 NAMTEC (The National Metals Technology Centre) moved into Swinden Houses which has been refurbished offering training and conference facilities, combining a mix of the old with the new.

[edit] External links

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