[1] In 1837 George Stephenson discovered both coal and iron reserves while digging a tunnel through Clay Cross Hill, for the North Midland Railway's line between Derby and Leeds.

Nearly 400 houses were built for the workers (tunnel navvies initially and then miners) and their families, and by 1846 the population around Clay Cross approached 1500.

The company built the narrow gauge Ashover Light Railway to transport the minerals 7 miles to Clay Cross.

The blast furnaces were demolished in 1959 and replaced by two hot-blast cupolas for expanding the company's production of ductile iron pipes.

[3] In 1974, the Clay Cross Company was acquired by RMC Group (Ready Mixed Concrete) which had a primary interest in its quarries.

[3] In 1984 the Biwater Group purchased the Clay Cross Company, which continued to manufacture iron pipes for export within Europe.

With over 700 employees, It remained the main employer in Clay Cross until 1998, when Biwater Industries was bought by rival pipe manufacturer Saint-Gobain (through its UK subsidiary Stanton plc).