Skinningrove Mines « East Cleveland Image Archive

Duckhole Pit with Whitecliffe & Kilton Mill in Foreground

The image is taken from a series of photographs produced by Bruce who was a Loftus photographer, producing lots of images around old Cleveland. Many considered the name was emphasised because of the link to de Bruce of Skelton Castle and Kilton. THanks to Derick Pearson for the update and information. John

Duck Hole Pit

Not a very clear picture but we can make out Glover’s Path and Kilton Mill and on the hillside ’Duck Hole’ pit. It got this name because of the working conditions; it was so wet the men could be ankle deep or more in water while working down there – it’s real name was North Loftus Mine.

Also to be seen in the picture are the remains of the original Whitecliffe mine. North Loftus mine was completely separate and only worked as an independent mine in the 1870s’. Later the shaft was acquired by Skinningrove Iron Co. and used to raise ironstone from Carlin How and Loftus mines, only being infilled about 1947.

Thanks to Simon Chapman for the addition to this post

Duckhole and Skinningrove Pits

Taken from the railway lines above, the picture clearly shows Duckhole in the foreground with Skinningrove or Loftus pit farther down in the valley.

Aerial Ropeway

A working photo of the aerial ropeway, locally known as ’the buckets’. We can see a full bucket of ironstone being taken up to the iron and steel works, with the mine in the distance at the bottom of the picture.

Loftus mines ironstone was transported up to Skinningrove Works from 1895 by connection into the abandoned workings of the North Loftus mine to avoid paying haulage charges to the N.E.R. By 1932 the North Loftus shaft steam winding equipment was thoroughly antiquated so the aerial ropeway was built to avoid using the shaft which was later filled in.

Thanks to Simon Chapman for information in the last paragraph.

Stone Catcher, Middle Level

At some point in the history of the ironstone industry in the Skinningrove valley the NER tried to raise the carrying costs for iron ore. As a result the NER lost the business (for good), an aerial ropeway (known locally as ”the buckets”) was constructed to take the stone from the valley floor up to Skinningrove Ironworks on the cliff top. This is the middle stanchion, the roofed structure over the road was to catch any falling stone jerked out of the buckets as a result of passing over the stanchion pulleys. This system was in use until local stone was superceded by cheaper foreign ores. (The topmost stanchion was still in place at the top gates of Skinningrove Iron and Steel Works when I worked there, adapted as a floodlight tower!)

Aerial ropeway – Bottom Section

Here’s a view of the bottom pylon of ’The Buckets’ complete with protective screen above the road. Just to the left of the pylon can be seen the air shaft for the mine.

This is the sight you would have seen entering Skinningrove, Loftus mine was to the right and the ropeway took ironstone from the mine to the steel works on the top of the hill, on it’s return it brought shale which was tipped at the back of the mine. This ropeway was known locally as ’the buckets’.

Loftus Mine

To the bottom left are the stables, then comes Overman’s Cottages (hoss muck terrace, as it was known by the locals) then what looks like a bridge is where the stone from Loftus mine was taken to Duck Hole and up the shaft to the works at the top of the bank. This happened when the railway put up the charge for the mine using the zig zag line. Kilton viaduct can just be seen and Mill Bank snakes it’s way to the top of the photo. We must not forget the children posing in the front of the photo, it was wonderful how the word got round when the photographer was coming.

Loftus Mine

Loftus Mine at full production.

At the right hand side is what was known as the wood yard where the wood for the pit props was stored.

Mill Bank is just visible at the far right and in the foreground are the stables.

Deepdale Woods and Skinningrove

A serene snow-covered image taken from Carlin How, probably from near the entrance to Skinningrove Iron and Steel Works, belying the gritty industrialised nature of the area.

Salient features are The Stables, Overman’s Cottages and the Woodyard in the valley, the shale tip next to Deepdale Wood and Loftus Mill Bank.

(A light dusting of snow, but you can still make out Overman’s Cottages, with the mine to the rear and Mill Bank snaking it’s way to Loftus. The shale heaps look almost like mountains with their covering of snow. – Joanj)