Ayton Monument Mine – Great Ayton – Cleveland
If it wasn’t for the hour drive down, the lengthy walk uphill on a superbly sunny and rather hot day, I would have bailed on this after seeing our “access point” alone. All credit to Dave for persuading me to continue and entertaining me with his endless knowledge of the history of this place. Actually, if it wasn’t for him I would never have found the entrance to begin with!
A fab place, in beautiful countryside surroundings… thoroughly enjoyed my visit here, so glad I made the effort to get out of my ‘comfort zone’ of buildings/climbing in windows to actually go into a mine…. Or ‘slide’ into one as the case was!
If it wasn’t for the hour drive down, the lengthy walk uphill on a superbly sunny and rather hot day, I would have bailed on this after seeing our “access point” alone. All credit to Dave for persuading me to continue and entertaining me with his endless knowledge of the history of this place. Actually, if it wasn’t for him I would never have found the entrance to begin with!
A fab place, in beautiful countryside surroundings… thoroughly enjoyed my visit here, so glad I made the effort to get out of my ‘comfort zone’ of buildings/climbing in windows to actually go into a mine…. Or ‘slide’ into one as the case was!
History bit: -
Ayton Monument Mine, an ironstone mine was worked for 23 years between 1908 and 1931 by Pease and Partners
It prided itself on its modern equipment and cleanliness and was the first local mine to use electricity.
The mine was officially called Ayton Mine but locally was known as Monument Mine to distinguish it from Ayton Banks Mine
The mine was created to access the ironstone seams south of the whinstone dyke but also to the north of it under Ayton Moor. This meant cutting through the harder volcanic rock of the dyke. Pease also owned the neighbouring royalties at Hutton Lowcross. It is said you could at one time walk underground from Monument mine to Hutton Lowcross near Guisborough. Due to rock falls it is unlikely to be the case now and in any case ventilation was always a problem for the mine.
Ore from the Monument Mine was carted out of the mine on narrow gauge tubs or wagons and hauled down the self acting incline for loading onto North Eastern Railway trucks at sidings just south of Great Ayton station.
The entrance..
Stones and dates..
view back to entrance..
miner's shoe..
Furnace..
hard to imagine from this pic, but these tunnels would stretch two mile in..quite an awesome thought..
The incline for trucks..
Substation at bottom of incline..
Cat Ayton Monument Mine, an ironstone mine was worked for 23 years between 1908 and 1931 by Pease and Partners
It prided itself on its modern equipment and cleanliness and was the first local mine to use electricity.
The mine was officially called Ayton Mine but locally was known as Monument Mine to distinguish it from Ayton Banks Mine
The mine was created to access the ironstone seams south of the whinstone dyke but also to the north of it under Ayton Moor. This meant cutting through the harder volcanic rock of the dyke. Pease also owned the neighbouring royalties at Hutton Lowcross. It is said you could at one time walk underground from Monument mine to Hutton Lowcross near Guisborough. Due to rock falls it is unlikely to be the case now and in any case ventilation was always a problem for the mine.
Ore from the Monument Mine was carted out of the mine on narrow gauge tubs or wagons and hauled down the self acting incline for loading onto North Eastern Railway trucks at sidings just south of Great Ayton station.
The entrance..
Stones and dates..
view back to entrance..
miner's shoe..
Furnace..
hard to imagine from this pic, but these tunnels would stretch two mile in..quite an awesome thought..
The incline for trucks..
Substation at bottom of incline..
