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Report - - Ayton Monument Mine, Great Ayton, Cleveland June 2015 | Mines and Quarries | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Ayton Monument Mine, Great Ayton, Cleveland June 2015

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catbalou

off the wall
Regular User
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!​

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.. :eek:
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Stones and dates..
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view back to entrance..
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miner's shoe..
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Furnace..
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hard to imagine from this pic, but these tunnels would stretch two mile in..quite an awesome thought..
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The incline for trucks..
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Substation at bottom of incline..
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Cat :)



 

Sed

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Nice one!! Looks like you had a good little explore there and your underground pictures have come out really well. Not convinced I could have gone down there mind - bit to 'underground' for me I think!
 

Sed

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Nah - looked at your entrance pic again. There is no way I could have done that!! Lol!!
 

catbalou

off the wall
Regular User
Nah - looked at your entrance pic again. There is no way I could have done that!! Lol!!

:) you'd be fine, I felt completely safe with Dave about (well apart from when he disappeared down a tunnel for a bit and cue me goin "arrrrgh dont leave me!!!""
:D
 

dave

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Well done for braving it in as the air down there is non existent after a few hundred yards or so in. We got out at the right time. Nice pics i may stick some of mine up later if you dont mind.
 

catbalou

off the wall
Regular User
Plenty about to be had so now you have done your first there is no stopping you
very true... surprised TBH that this place hasnt been reported on before (could be wrong... so please correct me if there have been reports on here) as its awesome down there.
 

catbalou

off the wall
Regular User
Well done for braving it in as the air down there is non existent after a few hundred yards or so in. We got out at the right time. Nice pics i may stick some of mine up later if you dont mind.

Had to... after the drive and walk to it! Must admit, after seein the entrance my initial thouhts were f*** no, but had to try out my new torch (shame i stood on it after scrambling out).
yes, air quality was a concern but alls well that ends well. Yes, please do post your pics, would love to see some decent ones of the place :)
 

dave

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
AAAAggghhh having trouble posting pics things have changed give me time to try and figure out sorry folks.
 

dave

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
19208816272_175d388eb7_b.jpg
 

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dave

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Sorry mods let me read the FAQs again its a while since i posted will get it right eventually. Oh and thanks Cat for the use of your super powerful torches which helped a lot in the pitch blackness.
 
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