This International Women’s Day, we’re shining a light on Hannah Lees, a remarkable woman whose name is woven into the story of Park Bridge Iron Works and the early industrial revolution.
In a time when women’s roles were rarely recorded or celebrated, Hannah’s influence still echoes through Park Bridge.
The iron works did not just shape our landscape, it helped shape industry far beyond our village, and Hannah Lees is a key part of that legacy.
For us, she represents something bigger too: the women whose influence sat behind industry, innovation and family enterprise, but rarely made the headlines.
That’s why, our group like to refer to Hannah as the “Grandmother of the Industrial Revolution,” not as an official title, but as a way of saying: her story deserves far more attention than it gets.
Why Hannah Lees’ legacy matters
At a time when industry was overwhelmingly dominated by men, Hannah stepped into leadership following the death of her husband in 1804 and played a major role in ensuring the iron works not only continued, but grew.
She was also raising a large family of six surviving children at the same time, a reminder of how extraordinary her achievements were, in a world not designed to make that easy.
Research shared by Dr Mike Nevell, the Industrial Heritage Support Office for England, notes that under Hannah’s leadership, the Park Bridge works developed beyond producing iron bars and expanded into engineering, including manufacturing rollers for textile machinery, helping support the industries that powered growth across the region.
In other words: Hannah Lees wasn’t just part of the story, she helped drive it.
All of this 114 years before the 1918 Representation of the People Act which allowed certain women to vote for the first time ever in UK political elections.
History on our doorstep
Park Bridge is not a footnote. It’s a rare surviving industrial landscape in the Medlock Valley with a story that connects local lives to a national, and international, chapter of the Industrial Revolution.
A long-term ambition: celebrating Hannah properly
As a community group, one of our long-term “blue sky” ambitions is to find a way to celebrate Hannah Lees properly. Potentially with a permanent tribute such as a statue or dedicated interpretation that helps visitors and school groups understand her significance.
We’re realistic: that’s a long journey, and it would require funding, permissions and partnership working. But the ambition matters, because stories like Hannah’s deserve to be visible, not hidden.
This International Women’s Day, we’re proud to celebrate Hannah Lees, a pioneering Park Bridge figure whose impact reached far beyond the village, and whose story deserves to be recognised as part of our shared heritage.