Joyce Dobson loaned us this rather good photo of the alum house at Hummersea all the others I have seen the house has been in ruins.

Maybe I would ’cos I am nosey, it’s the entrance to the alum mine on Hummersea beach.

Chris Twigg tells us: ”Rather than a mine, it was connected by a shaft to the Alum House on the cliff top. Presumably to allow the transportation of goods in and out.The alum shale was actually been quarried on the cliff top to the west.”
(photo courtesy of Julie Morrisonand update from Chris Twigg)

At one time well used tracks but now rusting and decaying, but what brick work on that tunnel, believed to have been built in the 17th century.
(photo courtesy of Julie Morrison and update from Chris Twigg)

You can almost smell the damp in this part of the tunnel, I wonder who were the last workers here, anyone got any photographs of the alum workers?
(photo courtesy of Julie Morrison)

Doesn’t fill you with confidence to go much farther into the tunnel does it?
(photo courtesy of Julie Morrison)

Looks like some climbing to do to get any farther into the tunnel.
(photo courtesy of Julie Morrison)

I don’t know how far in the tunnel these people went but here it is blocked by a fall of rock.
(photo courtesy of Julie Morrison)

Yes I like this photo and that is why I published it taken from inside the alum tunnel.
(photo courtesy of Julie Morrison)

A view from the cliff looking down on the alum house at Hummersea.

Thanks to Tina Dowey for the loan of this card that was posted in 1907.

A long walk by Hummersea farm to get to this beach, but well worth it, as we can see frequented by local people. I never knew what the ruins were, can anyone out there help?

(The ruins were the remains of the old alum house associated with Hummersea Alum Mine – Rodders)

This photograph shows the bottom of the steps down from Hummersea Farm to the beach.  The stone-built structure is thought to have been used as a kiln for the burning of cemenstone – which was obtained from the uppermost levels of the alum shale.

Thanks to John Roberts for the photo.  Information re the kiln from ’Steeped in History’ edited by I. Miller.

This photo shows the new steps in place, down the cliff from Hummersea Farm to the beach, in November 2006.  The old kiln looks the same as in the earlier photo.  Are the steps still there, or have they been damaged by the sea?

Thanks to John Roberts for the photo.

A view of the former Hummersea alum workings, almost disappearing under the eroded surface.

The stone outlines are the remains of liquor channels used to move the resultant liquids to the settling tanks.

Thanks to Eric Johnson for the photographs and information.

I know, it’s just a photograph of some cliffs, possibly Boulby Cliffs, but that is worked stone and the photographer knew it (and I bet he knew more about it than we do!), so the big questions are 1) Where is it and 2) What was it?

I’m fascinated!

John Hannah answered question 1 – it is Boulby Cliffs and it is adjacent to the Alum workings mentioned in an earlier post.  Eric Johnson answered question 1 and question 2, because he took the photo!  Eric you must have been barmy getting that close to the edge! – thanks for the answer though, rodders.