Mining in the Cleveland Ironstone Field played an important part in the development of the Iron and Steel industries of the Tyne and Tees valleys. The 'Main Seam' Ironstone was discovered in 1850 by John Vaughan and John Marley. Mining continued until the 1960's though maximum production was reacd in 1883 with over 6.5 Million tonss (imperial) of stone. Some ten thousand men and boys were employed in over eighty mines. The last mine to operate was North Skelton, co-incidentally the deepest at 740 feet and closing in 1964.
In Cleveland four seams of Ironstone are found in the Middle Lias. All attenuate southward and become split by shale partings. They are Chamositic mudstones, aggregates of micro-crystalline siderite and variable proportions of mud and silt. The 'Main Seam' contains about 30 % Fe but a low lime content of 5% making it necessary to add Limestone at the furnace.
The Dogger seam is a sandy oolite deposited in shallow water. There is an intermixture of chamositic ooliths hydrodynamically intergraded with terreginous sand.
Few of the mines were on the coast itself and the following list is of only those mines and quarries on or close to the coast.
Cliff
Shafts to Main Seam @ 102 feet and Quarries.
Worked 1857-1887
Section:-7 ft. 0 ins.
The main seam was quarried at the top of Huntscliff where it outcrops. Shafts were sunk when the railway was constructed. Connected underground with Huntscliff mine.
Goldsborough
Trial Shaft to Dogger Seam @ 141 ft 3ins.
Section:- 6 ft 1 ins.
Worked 1912-1915 The ore was found to be too sileceous.
Huntcliff
Main Seam 7 ft. 6 ins. worked by drifts.
Working 1872-1906
Right on the tip of Huntcliff. Connection made underground to the Cliff mine.
Kettleness
Main seam worked by quarries.
Section:- Ironstone 3 ft 0 ins Shale 1 ft 0 ins Ironstone 2 ft 2 ins. Worked from 1838- 1857
Stone was taken from the beach at the foot of Kettleness Nab. A trial drift was made at Cat Beck in the Dogger seam. Section:- 15 ft 7 ins silicaceous ironstone bands with shale and pebbles.
Kettleness
Dogger seam worked by drift.
Worked 1910-1915.
Located to the east of Kettleness Nab, almost on the cliff top.
Loftus
Main seam Ironstone worked by drifts.
Section:-
Ironstone 4 Ft 11 ins
Dogger 6 Ins
Ironstone 4 ft 1 ins
Worked 1830-1959
The initial works were the collection of stone from the beach and it is this site that is believed to be where John Vaughan was inspired to search for the main seam in the north of Cleveland. Actual mining on a small scale began in 1847. Mining on a major scale did not begin until 1865 and by 1875 production was 484,464 tons (imperial)
North Loftus
Main Seam Ironstone 9 ft. @ 249 ft depth. Worked from 1874 to 1937
Located under what is now the Skinningrove Iron Works. Connection underground to mine at Carlin Howe.
Port Mulgrave
Dogger Seam 2 ft 9 ins. worked by drifts.
Main Seam ironstone worked by shafts and beach quarry.
Section:-
2 ft 9 ins Shale
8 ins Ironstone 3 ft 1 ins
Worked from 1857- 1881
Originally stone was shipped to Jarrow using a wooden jetty. By 1859 a stone harbour was constructed and stone was shipped to the Tyne. At this time shafts were put down on the quayside to the main seam 60 ft below sea level with the workings extending as far as Staithes. In 1875 the tunnel entrance to Port Mulgrave was extended through the hill to Dalehouse so that stone from the nearby Grinkle mine could be shipped from the harbour. In World War Two engineers blew up the harbour breakwater as an anti-invasion measure.
Raithwaite
Dogger Seam 5 ft worked by drift. Worked from c 1855-1860.
Output for 1856-1858 14,290 tons (imperial)
Sandsend
Trial Drifts in Dogger Seam 4 f t. Worked about 1850.
Wreckhills
Main seam worked by shafts and Dogger worked by drifts.
Worked 1856-1895.
Section:-
Dogger
Ironstone 3 ft.
Shale 2 ft 2 ins.
Ironstone 2 ft. 3 ins.
Main Seam
Ironstone 3 ft. 0 ins.
Shale 7 ins.
Ironstone 2 ft. 10 ins
Just north of Runswick Bay at Wreckhills. The top seam outcrops near the top of the cliff. The mine and ironworks were set up at great expense but in 1858 it was severely damaged by a landslip. Ruins of the calcining kilns and their calcined contents can be seen today.
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