Roseberry Mine
{{Short description|A former ironstone mine in Great Ayton, North Yorkshire, England}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox mine
| name = Roseberry Mine
| image = Mining Subsidence, Roseberry Mine - geograph.org.uk - 479599.jpg
| width =
| caption = Mining Subsidence, Roseberry Mine
| alt = A green field with a depression in the centre right; a result of mining subsidence
| pushpin_map = North Yorkshire
| pushpin_mapsize =
| pushpin_map_alt = Relief map of North Yorkshire, showing the location of Roseberry Mine
| pushpin_map_caption=
| pushpin_image =
| pushpin_label =
| pushpin_label_position =
| coordinates = {{Coord|54.502|-1.100|display=inline,title}}
| place = Great Ayton
| subdivision_type = County
| state/province = North Yorkshire
| country = England
| products = Ironstone
| amount = {{convert|204,000|tonne}}
| financial year = 1917
| type = Drift
| greatest depth =
| discovery year =
| opening year = {{Start date|1870}}
| active years = 1874–1883
1907–1924
| closing year = {{End date|1924}}
| owner = See list
| official website =
| acquisition year =
| module =
}}
Roseberry Mine was an ironstone mine in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England, which operated between 1883 and 1924, with a break of 24 years. Both periods of mining used a form of tramway to transport the ironstone out, which connected with the railway line north of {{rws|Great Ayton}} railway station. The mine was located on the south side of Roseberry Topping digging into the hillside. Of the three ironstone mines in the Great Ayton area, Roseberry was the largest.
In 1912, the northern slope of Roseberry Topping collapsed and slipped down the hill which has left it with a distinctive shape (it was conically shaped before the landslide). Originally, the ironstone mining was blamed, but modern investigations had concluded that extreme weather events were the cause.
History
Roseberry Ironstone Mine was on the south side of Roseberry Topping, some {{convert|8|mi}} south east of Middlesbrough, {{convert|2.5|km|order=flip}} north east of Great Ayton and {{convert|1.5|km|order=flip}} south of Newton-under Roseberry.{{sfn|Middleton|2013|p=7}}{{cite web |title=Durham Mining Museum – Roseberry (Ironstone) |url=http://www.dmm.org.uk/colliery/r901.htm |website=www.dmm.org.uk |access-date=11 February 2021}} The Norton Iron Company developed the mine from 1870, but the proceedings were very slow, so much so that the royalty owner took the company to court as they should have been producing over {{convert|500|tonne}} a day. The company was fined £689 for loss of earnings to the royalty owner.{{sfn|Middleton|2013|p=8}} Part of the reason for the poor returns, was the lack of transportation for the mined ore. It had been recognised that the proximity of the mine to the Great Ayton railway branch line, should have made it easy to export the ironstone, however, the tramway connection was not finished until early 1880.{{sfn|Middleton|2013|p=9}} The engine used on the tramway was an 0-4-0ST named Roseberry, and built by Black, Hawthorn & Co. in Gateshead in 1880. It was used for ten years before being sold and used on reservoir construction in County Durham.{{cite book |last1=Hoole |first1=K. |title=Railways of the North York Moors : a pictorial history |date=1983 |publisher=Dalesman Books |location=Clapham |isbn=0852067313 |page=32}}{{sfn|Middleton|2013|p=14}}
Like the Warren Moor Mine across the valley near Kildale, the iron content at Roseberry was only 26–28%, in a seam that was {{convert|5|ft|5|in}} thick. However, as the mine was driven into the hillside, and the miners were effectively digging upwards, the mine was self-draining for its water ingress and tubs carrying the mined ore could be moved to the surface under their own gravity. This also meant that the surface operations covered a smaller area.{{sfn|Middleton|2013|p=10}}
In 1910, productivity at the mine was good and the output of ironstone amounted to three trainloads per day.{{cite book |last1=Hoole |first1=Ken |title=North-East England |date=1973 |publisher=David and Charles |location=Newton Abbot |isbn=0-7153-5894-4 |page=70}} In May 1912, the northern slope of Roseberry Topping slipped and caused a landfall event. This was blamed on the ironstone mining that had resumed underneath the hill, as well exploratory workings on the northern slope and old jet workings.{{cite web |title=The Collapse of Roseberry Topping – 1912 {{!}} Cleveland & Teesside Local History Society |url=http://ctlhs.co.uk/golden-jubilee/fifty-interesting-events/the-collapse-of-roseberry-topping-1912/#:~:text=Roseberry%20Topping%20has%20gradually%20lost,for%20the%20Roseberry%20Ironstone%20Mine. |website=ctlhs.co.uk |access-date=13 December 2020}}{{cite news |title=Roseberry Topping, Cleveland: walk of the week |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/activityandadventure/walkingholidays/8204536/Roseberry-Topping-Cleveland-walk-of-the-week.html |access-date=13 December 2020 |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=15 December 2010|url-access=subscription}} Modern geological investigations believe that the softer sandstones underneath the hill would have failed anyway, bringer the harder sandstone cap rumbling down, but the mining has probably had some effect.{{cite news |editor1-last=Barron |editor1-first=Peter |title=The day Roseberry Topping toppled |work=The Northern Echo |date=5 May 2012 |page=24|issn=2043-0442}}
In 1911, an influx of workers from Cornwall and Norfolk appeared in the census. This was put down to the closure of tin mines in the south west and the loss of agricultural jobs in East Anglia. Besides ironstone, the area around Great Ayton was noted for its whinstone quarrying.{{cite news |last1=Flanagan |first1=Emily |title=History group discovers Cornish roots of North Yorkshire village |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&t=&sort=_rank_%3AD&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=Roseberry%20Ironstone&docref=news/16E28D62E2BE5920 |access-date=13 December 2020 |work=infoweb.newsbank.com |date=1 September 2018|url-access=subscription}} In 1917, the mine achieved its best output of {{convert|204,000|tonne}} and employed over 380 workers, making it the largest of the three mines in the Great Ayton area (the other two mines being Ayton Banks and Monument).{{cite web |title=Roseberry Ironstone Mine |url=https://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/discover/archaeology/industrial-archaeology/roseberry-ironstone-mine |website=northyorkmoors.org.uk |access-date=11 February 2021}}{{sfn|Tuffs|1996|p=28}} Between 1907 and closure in 1924, the output of the mine (and that of Ayton Banks), was used in the Lackenby smelters of the Tees Furnace Company.{{cite web |title=Tees Furnace Co – Graces Guide |url=https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Tees_Furnace_Co |website=www.gracesguide.co.uk |access-date=11 February 2021}}{{cite web |title=Durham Mining Museum – Tees Furnace Co., Ltd. |url=http://www.dmm.org.uk/company/t001.htm |website=www.dmm.org.uk |access-date=11 February 2021}} During the First World War, Roseberry was dispatching three trainloads of ore a day to Teesside.{{cite web |title=Great Ayton |url=http://greatayton.wdfiles.com/local--files/ironstone/Ironstone-Mining.pdf |website=greatayton.wdfiles.com |access-date=11 February 2021 }}
Mining ceased in 1924, but a small team was retained at the site to undertake "routine maintenance". The Gribdale Mining Co. took over the site in 1925, but no mining took place and closure plans were announced in 1929. The machinery was cleared from the site in 1931.{{sfn|Middleton|2013|p=15}}
=Owners=
During its 41-year history, the mine was operated by six different owners;{{sfn|Tuffs|1996|p=33}}{{sfn|Middleton|2013|pp=8–15}}{{cite news |title=Industrial facts and figures |work=The Leeds Mercury |issue=13,686 |date=12 August 1882 |location=Column F |page=3}}
- 1871–1875 Norton Iron Company
- 1875–1882 Roseberry Ironstone Company
- 1882–1887 Stevenson, Jacques and Company
- 1906–1921 Tees Furnace Company
- 1922–1925 Burton and Sons
- 1925–1926 Gribdale Mining Company
References
{{reflist}}
=Sources=
- {{cite report|last=Middleton|first=Penny|title=Roseberry Ironstone Mine, Great Ayton, North Yorkshire|date=September 2013|publisher=Northern Archaeological Associates|location=Barnard Castle|url=https://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/discover/archaeology/industrial-archaeology/roseberry-ironstone-mine/1094_Rpt_13-105_Roseberry-Phase-II-201113-final.pdf|website=northyorkmoors.org.uk|access-date=13 December 2020}}
- {{cite book|last=Tuffs|first=Peter|title=Catalogue of Cleveland Ironstone Mines|year=1996|publisher=Tuffs|location=Guisborough|oclc=35135777}}
External links
- [https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=54.50238&lon=-1.10340&layers=168&b=1 Mapping of the site from 1912]
{{Ironstone mining in Cleveland and North Yorkshire}}
Category:Ironstone Mines in North Yorkshire