ABSTRACT
Industrialisation was one of the main reasons for the rapid and extensive growth of urban places in post-medieval England. The idea of the ‘Workshop of the World’ to which the title alludes is predominantly associated with images of urban industry. However, the role of archaeology in understanding urban industrialisation has hitherto been limited — focusing on either production or consumption — but rarely on both. This chapter investigates two geographically distinct but historically similar urban areas strongly associated with the ferrous metal trades. Particular attention is paid to the evolution of the yard based building form in both industrial and domestic contexts; a common feature of both regions.
