The Media Archive for Central England is the public screen archive for the East and West Midlands. An independent charity and company based at the University of Lincoln, MACE acquires, catalogues, preserves and makes widely available moving image materials that inform our understanding of the diverse cultures and histories of communities between the Lincolnshire coast and the Welsh border.
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Chain Making
In over one hundred and fifty years little has changed in the chain forges of Cradley Heath where big, tough men hammer out the biggest and toughest chains.
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Overview
Griffin Woodhouse of Cradley Heath make chains - big and heavy ones - the biggest are used to moor the largest ships and oil rigs. All are heated up and hammered out in the age old way. It's not completely manual labour now as some machines have made inroads onto the shop floor, but the regulars of the Swan with Two Necks pub, chainmakers both young and old, all agree that it's still the hardest job of all.
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