Three 70ft furnaces of the Acklam Ironworks were blown in by Stevenson, Jacques & Company in December 1865, they were places on wooden piles driven into a marsh, in an area which become known as the Ironmasters district of Middlesbrough. At this point they are using ironstone from the Brotton ironstone mine as the companys own mine at Boosbeck had not started.

A fourth furnace was added in 1868.

They passed into the ownership of the Acklam Iron Company in 1888 and in turn to North Eastern Steel Company in 1896, which then become part of Dorman Long around 1904.

A 1924 Dorman Long publication shows a photo of the furnaces.