farming. Oughtibridge's position within the Don valley made it a prime location as the water power of the river could be used to drive the machinery of the early and mid-19th century. In 1841 the population had risen to 1,005 with Oughtibridge forge being the main industry in the village. The forge still stands today on Forge Lane and is a Grade-II-listed building; it has been renovated in recent years and turned into several apartments within a new housing development. There was a corn mill, paper mill, tannery and a small brewery among the other industries at this time. During the second half of the 19th century Oughtibridge reached its height as an industrial centre with the opening of Oughty Bridge railway station in 1845 on the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway. By 1891 the population had grown to 1,784. The Oughtibridge Silica Firebrick Company which had ganister mines in the nearby Beeley Wood and Wharncliffe Woods, utilised the railway for transportation, building a factory by the railway line near the station; the works were taken over by the Steetley company in 1947. The Steetley refractory works on Station Lane closed in the 1980s with half the site being redeveloped for housing while the remaining half was taken over by Intermet Refractory Products Ltd. Oughtibridge mill and site The Dixon family bought the paper mill to the northwest of the village in 1871 and it became a flourishing business, being one of the first to use wood pulp to produce paper instead of rags. The mill specialised in tissues, making the Dixcel brand for many years. Wood pulp for Dixon's paper mill was imported from the Toppila pulp mill (Toppila Oy) in Oulu, Finland from 1931–1985. The Dixons signed an agreement with the railway company to provide a siding for the works to transport raw materials and the finished product. The factory had several owners after the Dixons sold the mill in the 1970s, namely British Tissues, Jamont UK, The Fort James Corporation and from 2000 it became part of the Georgia-Pacific group. The paper mill was closed in 2007 leaving only converting lines operational with the two tissue machines being mothballed. All production ceasing in 2015. On 30 August 2016 a resolution to grant outline planning for up to 320 homes was secured for the Oughtibridge mill site. This includes the demolition of existing industrial buildings and the construction