Description:Abraham Parker put the first furnace at Apedale into blast in 1789. The works passed through a number of owners until 1890 when the Midland Coal, Coke and Iron Company was formed and took the ironworks and colleries over. However in 1930 the company went bankrupt and the estate was demolished and sold for scrap by Thomas W. Ward. Apedale has now been redeveloped as a country park and Heritage Centre.
The two men on the right of the photo are father and son, Patrick Turner with white whiskers and standing beside him (with elbow jutting out) Francis Turner.