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Francis & Jenkins Successors Ltd

The Greenfield works of Messrs Francis and Jenkins Successors Ltd, which was thought to be have been established in 1870, was one of the oldest factories in Llanelli and the only one of its kind in Wales.

Situated behind Robinson Street, the Greenfield was once sandwiched between Nevill’s and the Old Lodge and was often mistaken as part of these works. The property consisted of two factories separated by a lane along which a railway network ran from the gas works to Nevill’s Dock.

The shovels were made in the Greenfield Works on one side of the lane whilst the wheelbarrows were made on the other side in the Richmond Works.

The Greenfield Works operated for about 80 years and locals knew it as The Shovel Works. The works made shovels for all types of uses and one of its customers was the National Coal Board. At one time the works specialised in Welsh pattern shovels, sometimes known as Aberaeron or Pembrokeshire shovels which were used on farms and in gardens but went out of favour in later years.

The Welsh pattern shovel was also known as the Pembrokeshire lazy-back because it had a long handle which was long enough to allow a man to dig without bending his back. The Shovel Works also made steel wheelbarrows and ladles which were used in copper and other metal refining industries. The ladles were made from local steel or iron from the Midlands and were sent to the North of England, the Midlands and the London area. The firm had many customers over the years including Rothschilds of London, refiners of precious metals and suppliers to the Royal Mint.

Plans were mooted in the 1960s to expand the Shovel Works but because the site was surrounded by other factories and domestic housing this proved impossible.

When a manager went to Manchester to visit a firm to order a steam hammer for the ladle making process, the manufacturers were surprised to find that the previous hammer, which was still in production, was supplied in 1874.