Round Oak Steel Works, Brierley Hill

A sad story of declining British industry lost partly due to lack of political commitment to engineering skills. This picture, below is of Round Oak, taken from Level Street, Brierley Hill in 1985, just before the last of the site was closed and demolished. On this spot now stands The Copthorne Hotel and behind it The Waterfront which hosts a number of high profile companies offices and some restaurants. Actually nicely done with the canal made into a marina which has enhanced the area. Nonetheless a loss to the economy of Britain as the wealth of the area depended on the steelworks now depends on retail outlets selling mainly imports.