One of Darlaston’s once large industries was the manufacture of structural iron and steel work. Many of the country’s important buildings and structures were built using locally made fabrications. Darlaston based company’s including Rubery Owen and E. C. & J. Keay Limited were known throughout much of the world.

The industry started in the town in the 1840s in the first large factory in the area; King's Hill Works, that was owned and run by S & R Carter. Sadly the business ended in 1866 because the bank used by the firm, the Birmingham Banking Company, suffered serious liquidity problems and ceased to trade, leaving Carters with many unpaid bills and angry creditors. As a result the factory and contents were sold at auction in June 1867 at the Old Castle Hotel in Pinfold Street.

The Darlaston Iron Bridge and Roofing Company Limited was formed on 29th July 1867. The Directors were Richard Mills, Samuel Rubery, and James Slater. John Tunner Rubery became Company Secretary, and Simeon Carter was Works Manager.

It is likely that the new company acquired at least part, if not the whole of S & R Carter’s Kings Hill Works to enable work to immediately go ahead on several important orders including the wrought ironwork for the roof of Liverpool Lime Street Station. In 1867 to 1868 the station was lengthened and widened. The northern-most bay of the roof, designed by the London & North Western Railway’s Chief Engineer, William Baker, was built at that time. Seven years later the southern bay, also designed by William Baker was added.

The roofs are 645ft long and cover most of the platform area. The north roof was the largest arched, single span wrought iron roof ever built at the time. It took 2,500 tons of iron to build the structure. The spans of the roof vary between 185ft and 215ft, with an average of 212ft. It appears that the Darlaston Iron Bridge and Roofing Company were acting as sub-contractors to G. Thompson & Company, Railway Contractors of Liverpool, who were awarded the original contract. The cylindrical cast iron columns were manufactured by George Forrester & Company, Vauxhall Foundry, Liverpool.

The roof was erected by the Darlaston Iron Bridge and Roofing Company under the watchful eye of the company’s Forman of Works, Mr. James Kean. Work was completed in 1871 at a cost of £44,347.

The company may also have had a site at Fallings Heath. In J. G. Harrod & Company’s Postal and Commercial Directory of 1870 the company is listed as: Darlaston Iron Bridge and Roofing Company, Limited, Fallings Heath.

In 1871 Andrew Shirlaw, a Scottish mechanical engineer became Managing Director of the Darlaston Iron Bridge and Roofing Company, and by August 1872 the nominal capital had been increased to £20,000. The shareholders were: Alexander Brogden M.P. for Ulverston Lancashire; Simeon Carter, Works Manager; Edward Eastwood, Wagon Builder at Chesterfield; Enoch Horton, Nut & Bolt Manufacturer at Darlaston; Anna Wood, of St. John’s Wood, London; Richard Mills; Samuel Rubery; John Tunner Rubery; Samuel Rubery Junior; James Slater; and Andrew Shirlaw.

Around 1870 the company moved to a new factory in Station Street, Darlaston, on a site that is roughly opposite to where Salisbury Primary School is today. It was an ideal site lying next to the Darlaston Branch of the London & North Western Railway, giving easy access to much of the country. The branch line opened in 1863. This was one of the first factories in the area, which had previously been extensively mined for coal by Batchcroft Colliery. Other factories soon appeared including Enoch Horton’s New Alma Works which was built next door.

In October 1874 The Bridge and Roofing Company Limited won a contract to build a large road bridge over the Metropolitan Railway at Farringdon Road. The company quoted £18,250 for the work. Other contracts included the Egremont Ferry Pier and the floating approach to the Princes Landing Stage, including the six sets of pontoons that supported the staging.

On 15th November 1876 the London & North Western Railway put out for tenders for the construction of a second shed at Liverpool Lime Street Station. The contract was awarded to The Bridge and Roofing Company Limited at a price of £35,840. The roof which had spans varying from 170ft to 195ft was erected by E.W. Ives, Civil Engineer of London. The project was completed in the middle of 1879.