The Butler family were involved for six generations from 1779 in the management of the Forge and eventually purchased it in 1893 from the Cardigan Estate for £12,000. In 1779 John and Thomas Butler took over the lease with George and
Betty Beecroft, at her instigation. It was in need of investment and regeneration. They invested the sum of £1,000 (roughly £12,760,000 in today's money), which had been agreed between the Butlers and Beecrofts before they took the lease. Ambrose Edmund Butler (1848–1923) had been involved in the management of the Forge under the guidance of his father Ambrose and his uncle John Butler. In 1876 he was asked to read a paper before the meeting of British Iron and Steel Institute in Leeds about the new process of "reeling bars" that had been developed under his father Ambrose. The members visited Kirkstall Forge the next day. In 1883 Ambrose senior and his brother John died within two months of each other leaving the Forge with a bank overdraft of £59,000. The industry changed with an increasing move to steel, reducing the demand for wrought iron and it took a savvy agreement with the Cardigan Estate to reduce the rent from £800 per year to £350 to ensure the survival of the company. Ambrose senior had fought to preserve the firm in his later years but it was largely due to Ambrose Edmund's grit and determination that it survived and prospered. He was ably helped by his younger brothers Bernard and Hugh who all worked enormously hard during these years. During the First World War, forging was stopped, allowing the business to concentrate on axle production. During the Second World War, production expanded to meet the demand for military vehicles, and the site was camouflaged to reduce the risk of bombing raids. During World War II, many bombing raids were carried out along the Aire Valley. In 1964, Kirkstall Forge bought the Regent Axle company based in Burnley to expand its gear machining capabilities. In 1974, Kirkstall Forge Engineering was bought by
GKN. ==Railway station==