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Lingdale would not exist if it weren’t for the Ironstone Mine that once dominated this village.  Lingdale, originally called Lingdale Lane,  at 550 feet above sea level was the highest mining location in the Cleveland Ironstone System.

I have a personal interest in Lingdale Pit; a relative of mine – one Thomas Knott of “Glenhow”, Saltburn – was the mines agent for Messrs. Pease and Partners and conducted the initial business of negotiating the royalty and getting the approval of Parliament for the venture.

The pit had an erratic existence in its early years, costing more to run than it produced in profit – in fact the only reason it wasn’t closed was because so much money had been invested in its development.  Ironically this fact may have been the very reason why it lasted so long, only Kilton and North Skelton outliving it.

During the life of the pit, however, men came from far and wide to work it, creating a diverse and strong culture, with a powerful community spirit.  When the pit closed that community gradually fragmented, as people found work elsewhere and drifted away.

In the 80′s a period of rural cleansing in the village eliminated most of the “two-up, two-down” terraces which formed the core of all pit villages in the North of England and produced instead an ordered assembly of council properties, which further fragmented the original community.

I like to think that Lingdale is rising from its ashes now – a spirit of community can be seen emerging and I hope that it will express itself in these pages, posts and images.

If you can help us in any way or wish to be involved with the Digital Village then leave a comment and we’ll be in touch.