A look back at the history of Newport's Orb steelworks

The Orb steelworks opened in Newport in 1898, three years after the death of John Lysaght, owner of John Lysaght and Co., with the company transferring thousands of workers from its base in Wolverhampton.

The main gates at Orb Steelworks in 1994

Load testing of steel lintel at Orb Steelworks in 1979

New streets were built to house the new steelworkers, many of whom walked to their new home from as far afield as the Midlands. The steelworks grew quickly, employing more than 3,000 workers in its heyday.

When the First World War began, many Orb workers signed up and 121 workers from the site would later be killed during the war. A further 27 lost their lives in the Second World War. A memorial to the fallen was put in place by the steelworks.

The war memorial to those from the Orb steelworks who died in both world wars

Coil to be shipped from British Steel's Lysaght Wharf at Orb Steelworks in 1991

In 1920, John Lysaght and Co. was acquired by Guest Keen and Nettlefolds (GKN), though the Lysaght name was used until the 1960s.

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During 1928, the W.R. Lysaght Institute was opened on Corporation Road, boasting huge lounges, a bar, skittle alley, and tennis courts. The place was a social hotspot for decades, providing workers and their families with a variety of events and activities until its closure in 2001 – which has since been restored.

Orb Steelworks staff in 1987

Orb Steelworks staff in 1987

Steel-rolling at the Orb was focused on the car industry for much of the 20th century, but a range of electrical metals had also been produced at the Newport plant.

Back in October, the Argus backed a campaign to save the site and asked the people of Newport to sign our petition to prompt the UK government to step in a save the steelworks – and we amassed over 2,500 signs.

Two security guards at Orb steelworks, Newport, in 1984, ahead of a new convoy run to Llanwern Steelworks. The guards oversea the transportation of vital coke while there was picketing during the miners' strike

Film of soldiers marching to war from the launch of the 'First World War - Steel Remembered' project at the Lysaght Institute

The Orb was run by British Steel, then Corus, and most recently, Tata Steel, who were unable to find a buyer for the facility in 2018 which led to its subsequent closure.