The Industrial Archae~logy Grol~c for the North East

Bulletin 5

Ironstone W o r k i n g s c f Por t Mulgrave S . K. Chapmm 3

Cra thornc Mi l l 3. E . S . Simmons 8

Nor th Walbott le project S. M. J,inele y 9

AIum tndust ry of Yorth Eas t Yorkshire S . K. Chaprnan 1 l

Tramcar relics

Pencil Mill at Cronkley Scar

'Teesside programme

Index to Bulletins 1 to 5

G. Hearse 14

F rank Rtkinson 17

18

19

Our advancing studies

Things have been happening since Bulletin 4 was published. The Tyneside

Industrial Archaeology Group has come into being and i s now energetically pursuing a number of projects. One, the North Walbottle project, i s a l ready far enough ahead to permi t an inter im repor t here.

'

Elsewhere In the region, a group with Michael Wheeler as leader has been surveying thr Killhope lead crushkg mill and we hope to be able t o publish t h i s soon. A n d we l e a r n that t h e r e may be a chance of preserving in s i tu part of the Healeyfield smelt mi l l flue complex. This has never been fully

surveyed: any offers ?

Aerial photography can help i n a difficult s i te l ike Haaleyfield, and i t has already proved possible to record from the a i r a square mining village in County Durham, which could not be adequately photographed from the ground. There may be scope h e r e for further recording, so suggestions as t o suitable s i t e s for aerial photography wouId be welcome. Another development since our l a s t Bulletin has been the appearance of the 'Friends of the Northern Regional Open Air Museum'. These 'Fr iends ' have published an a t t r a c t h e booklet entitled Living H i s t o 2 which is available (price 3 / 6 ) f rom Er ic Griffith, Hon. Secretary, Whitetharn, E a s t Oakwood, Hexham. P r o g r e s s with the Regional Museum s e e m s t o be moving a l i t t le and your Committee are alive to the problems of the Museum and the urgency of its work. - Mention of urgency xeminds one that the Cramlington ai r -ship hangar is about to b e demolished. This remarkable building, which i s u n h o w n to most people has been pictured b y our roving photographer, but someone might care to do a little more, locally?

It is regxetted that no acknowledgement was made for the very detailed l i s t of North Yorkshire sites published in Bulletin 4. This was prepared by the Teesside Group and especial mention should be made of the work af Roger Pickles and Keith Chapman. Initial check lists have now been published for the three counties and additions or correct ions a r e invited.

The tempo of work i s now building up in t he region, as theme notes indicate and perhaps the time haa come to change the Bulletin into a m o r e permanent annual production, leaving a slighter Newsletter to be published more frequently. In any event your contributions are welcomed and as an experiment in this issue we a r e reproducing two photographs. lt i s only fair t o point out that they a r e old ones and w e r e not v e r y c lea r even before we printed thern!

PORT MULGRAVE Ironstone Workings S . Keith Chapman

Early in the 1850's M e s s r s . P a l m e r s of Jarrow-on-Tyne acquired the l e a s e f o r working the main seam of ironstone outcrdpping on the beach south of Staithes, th is stone being taken away by beach shipping. Nearby at Rosedale Docks they commenced working the top seam of iranstone which i s about 200 feet higher up the cliff face. This stone was originally Lowered onto the beach skipping jetty by a self -acting inclined plane, but this was followed by sinking a shaft in the cliff for a depth of about 22: fa thoms, which was then connected by a short tunnel to the docks being constructed. These docks o r stone buil t jetties enclosed an area about 3 acres in extent and cost between f 40, 000 t o £50,000 to build. By I856 two further shafts had been sunk into the cliff top and the main seam of ironstone located. At this point on the coast the top seam i s about 4 fee t thick, and the main s e a m about 8 feet thick, the 200 f e e t intervening being mainly shale. The top seam workings were afterwards abandoned, but the beach workings af the main s e a m continued for a censide rable time afterwards.

On land the location of the main seam is about 10 feet below sea level, dipping in a southerly direction, so the short tunnel leading f rom the docks was extended westwards and ga l le r ies dr iven off each side of th is t o form the workings of the mine. At this t i m e the stone vended from here and the beach at Staithes was about 23,500 tons per annum, but i t was est imated that 70 ,000 tons per annum couldbevended i f n e c e s s a r y . In 1856 in consequent e of t h e name being confused with the Ro sedale Abbey district it was decided to re-name i t Por t Mulgrave. (The Mulgrave Estates of the Earls of Normanby l i e t o the southwest, )

The tunnel o r drtft entrance t o the mine leading t o the main s e a m is about 25 to 30 feet above sea level, BO the stone was run in tubs along a 3 foot gauge railway built on top of a large wooden gantry e rec ted on the southern a r m of the stone jetty of the harbour. A s e r i e s of wooden boxes was built into this gantry a s bunkers for storing the ironstone, each box holding f r o m 5 0 t o $0 tons, and the total range consisting of 20 boxes. Later a spur was constructed on the south side of the gantry for stockpiling the stone in the open space nearby. In 1912 it became necessa ry to construct a second spur in order t o extend the area available for open stock piling. T o remove this stone a short incline was built leading up to the east

e n d n C t h c m,iin c a r t r y 2 m d a r ~ r t i c a l ho i l c r dr iv ing qtcam powered donkey- e3qir.e u7a s c o n s t r u L t e c ! t o p~il! the tl_ths of stonc o r to the yxnt ry .

At thr ~ c s t ~1!d of ibe ma;n pantry a I 'urther sp'.l: poiEting n o r t h was used f o r r l ze unloading oT coal b r o i ~ g h t in b y the ships. This was by means o f a 5uckr t c - a n c s t a n d t n y a t t1.c end of 171e gnntrv. Tl?? buckets of coal irom the ships be ing t ipped i n t o tlopwcr tubs , which wcrc unloaded into i h u t r s f i t t c d at in t c rva lz be tween t h e raj l S runnlnp a long the top of the E a n t r y .

Denea th thr main gan t ry w a - also s j tuatcd a steam haulace engine and e r . T h i s 7 ~ - a s ~t s e d ir: L C ~ J unctlor> w i t h a maln -acd- ta i l rope s y s t e m to haul t h r tubs oi stc:~r. ~ ~ - o r l . th:= cr::i cn! rar c r on to ;I-r._ g a n t r y top, A smal! 2 fool g;~uEe rai lx:~y l i r ~ 4 ii;:u.-ed the h a r b o u r ar-E, bcina built aIong the to? o i t!ie s tone jct ty. Or. ; h i s rail-A ~y n h i l~sc . -drzrvr: t-ab p~r iod i r : a l lv , a!lc*ctcd l u n p s o: :.andhtor;c~ .-~-l-.l:h h3d + d I r ' r f ' 7 . 0 ~ ~ :h5 cl i f fs above and t13esc. v r c r c ilscd o r rnaintcmanie 3'14 i-cpai-h t o the jetty. ( S e e attached plan for g - ~ n e r a l details. )

In the 3 a r b o u ~ ' s rzarlv rlsy:i ~~-1171ng vc:,$eis were usc:i, but t h e s e w e r e soon replaced by p>drdf- tugs hn~r i i r lg ba rgcs . Thr. names of t h r s c t u g 2 \rere "CleveLand," "Saxon Pr ince" and " E m p e r o r . " Tlze ba rges w e r e named "Loftus" ancl "Europe". A l u r t h r r t ug "TI-.c. Aus t ra l i an t f was usually kcpt i n r c s c r v c . R y the end of the 19th c e ~ i t u r y thc tugs were rcp1acc.d by t w o s t e a m e r s "Staithes" and "Grinkle". The lattcr u.as origir ial ly bui l t as a pr!rol dsiven T-essel and named "14.iotor" but t h i s p rov ing un successful. i t was a l t e r r d to co7lvcntionaI s t e a m pole-cr s q r l r r -named "Grii~l-rl c". Tllc " S t a i t h t . ~ " w a s a twirt-screw ship b u i l t b y 3 . Bavter .Kr Co. , i n 1x83, with e ng ine? and boi lers s u p p l ~ c d by P a l m c r s , g ross ionrlagc bcing 300 t o n s . The s t e a m e r s s o m e t i m e s c a r r i e d a c a r g o 01 coal to London and on the r r t u r n ,journey col lec ted i ronstone at P o r t hiulgrave fo r transit ?a Jar rew- on -Tyne. Approx ima tc lv 2 , 5 0 0 tons to 3 , 0 0 0 tons of stone per week we r e transported to Jarrow a t t imes.

The normal procedure was that v r s s e I s approached t h e h a r b o u r at P o r t Millgrave during h i y h t ide and a flag was flown f rom thc: top of the gantry at the harbour entrance, t he flag having a recognition lr t ter displayed 011 it wllich a1 lowcd the vessel t o proceed. As she entered th r ha rbour mouth a

rope from the bow was t h r o w n on to the south jctty and made fas t to a bollard. The tide s w ~ ~ n g the vessel into the harbour until i t facecl Ihc en t rance again ~ n d was t h e n m a d e iasf alongside the boxes. Loading had to b e accomplished swiftly so that t h e sh ip could Icavr. harbour before low tide. This work was ~ s u a l l y cornplctecl in about an hour with 300 tons o i stone being taken aboard during this time. T o assist the loading a windlass t r ave l l ed along the top of the main gantry above the bunkers, and a rope f r o m this was attached to the bottom of the door in t h e f r o n t of each box in tu rn , the door was r a i sed and the stone f e l l out into the hull of the barge o r ship. The door was thcn lowered, but at times became jammed with s tone , in which case a man had to br lowered bv rope down the gantry side t o dislodge thc obstruction with

ar: i r o n bar. The windlass then proceeded to the next Sox and so on, unfil the Ioad1;lg w a s corlzpleted.

I t w a s a s t m d b g t d e at the harbour tha t whatever time. of dav or night ships arrivcd t h e y had to b e loaded immediately.

The mine^' C a s h i e r ' S Ilousa an the cl i ff top w a s the first In the district t o have a telephone ins ta l led , and this was chiefly used to pass on sailing t imes between the harbour and darrow -on-Tyne.

In bad weather the ships she l t e red at West IJart lepool, but in 19 1 7 the vessel "Grinklc" f o u n d ~ ~ e d i n the Tees Bay during a storm.

In bvsv ijeriods men worked -over on the cpEn stock pile beside the gantrv , at nights ai-d Luring weekends, and were pnicl an extra 6d per hour fo r this labour; alti.rnative!y during s lack tlrnes men were employed repairinq the stone j ~ t t y walls. In fact when the occaaien demanded thev became m i n e r s in winter and [ishermen in summer.

The buildings 2nd cot tages at the cliff top w e r e made extisely fo r the u s e of the miners and wcre connected with the worlcings by a series of s t e p s down the side of the clif1. The ~ ~ i l l a , q e was also called P o r t Mulgrave and consisted of a short row a n d a long r o w of t e r r a c e d h o u s e s , s o m e cottage S and the Mine

Cashier's House a l r eady mentioned. In 1874 Palmers obtained fur ther i rons tone royalties in the nearby valley

of Grinkle and comrncnccd working the majn seam there. At that t ime there

was s t i l l n o rail out le t for t h e area so the ma in drift at Po r t Mulgravc was extcnded through the hillside and made into a tunrip: A mile long uith the 3 f o o t gauge railway Line connecting this with the mine aL Grinklc 2 { miles away. All the stone from Grinkle passed through t h i s tunnel to the harhour, a n d by 1880 when the P o r t Mulgrave working!: ur;.rr: exhausted it continued to be used solely f o r the Grinkle stonc.

However , in 1916, a steep incline w a s constructed i n the v d l e y at Gr inWe, leading up t o the main Nor th E a s t e r n Railway line from Loftus to Whitby, and in sidings at the top of this incline the Gr ink l e i rons tone was tipped into standard gauge wagons.

The rail link to P e r t Mulgrave remained, but was used onIy for transporting t h e miners to and from Grinkle, and the final t r a in ran on 30th M a y , 1930. The line was subsequently lifted after the GrinWe Mine had closed in 1934, and shortly afterwards the ha rbour installations at Port Mulgrave were demolished, a f i r e hastening the p r o c e s s , only t h e stone jetties remaining.

As a postscript it is of interest to note that a Dutch motor vessel w a s

employed later removing s c r a p iron from t h e harbour remains and these were shipped t e Whitby Harbour. put on xa i l t o Middlesbrough and then sent t o Skinningrove works. A s Por t Mulgrave and Skinningrove a r e only a few miles apart the reason for this novel method was said to be that the

Tees Dues were so high compared with Whitby, and that using a Dutch ship mean t a saving that paid f o r the extra rail freightage involved,

OFFICE. 7. COTTAGES. SHORT

PORT MULGRAVE

ROW. c. 1920

8 . COTTAGES, LONG NOT TO SCALE

ROW. 9. BUNGALOWS

S . S . Staithes at Port Mulgrave, about 1900

The ha rbour at Port M u l g r a ~ . ~ e , about 1900

P > .-*-.- - X"

Crathorne Mill H. E.S. Simmons

Mention by Tom Hay in Rulleti:: No. 4 of the Crathornc corn mil l (p. 2 3 ) br ings to mind that at one t ime there used to be two bleachkg milIs here in addition t o the coxn mill. 'In 1 7 1 7 ' , says Victoria County Ristory, 'Ralph Crathosne had a water corn m i l l and a fulling mill leased to George Flowndrrs. The bleaching industryflourishedin Crathorne in the 18th and early 19th centur ies , and in 1808 there was an extensive bleach ground and two bleaching mills, with the old flour mill nearby. The water for the bleaching mill was brought from a f ine chalybeate spring an the west bank of the Leven. In 1844 only the corn mil l was working!

In 1783, John Flounders 'of Craythorn Mill in the county of+ Y o r k , Bleacher', presumably of the s a m e family as the Flownders mentioned in 1717, insured his ' W a t e r Millhouse, Bittering House, Boilhouse, Sour House and Offices adjoining and communicating, brick and stone built and tiled and slated, and on the mi l l s therein, situate a t Craythorn M i l l aforesaid and known by the n a m e of Bleachfield Mill ' for f 200, and the utensi ls and trade for f 1 ,000 . (Royal Exchange Fire Insurance Policy No. 86734, 6 June, 1783) .

In 1801 Josaph Nevill 'of Crathorn Bleachfield in the county of York, Bleacher and Corn Miller' took out a poIicy which included his ' W a t e r Corn Millhouse, Kiln and G r a n a r y adjoining, si tuate at Crathorn Bleachfield aforesaid, f 200;

the Water Wheels, Standing and Going Geera, Mil ls tones , Machines e t c .

therein, f 200'; and 'on Stock i n Trade and Utensils 6400 ' . (R. E. F. I. P. No. 181815, 29 Jan. 1801).

In 1844 there was to b e sold by auction 'A Water Corn Mill si tuated on the banks of the Leven in Cleveland, on the Crathorne Es ta te , i n the North Riding of Yorkshire. The mil l has an 18 feet f a l l and works a Thrashing Machine' (Midland Counties Herald, Aug. 8, t 844).

Directory re fe rences in subsequent years ~ e c o r d John Watson, corn miller . Craythorne, 1865; Be l l % Orange, corn m i l l e r s , Crathorne 1872; Jarnes Bell 1879; Thornas Dobson 1889-3921; C. & J. Dobson 1925; and Thomas Dobson 1933.

NORTH WALBOTTLE project S. M. Li nsley

On the 22nd February, 1968, the last coals were dxawn from the North Walbotttt Col l iery {NZ 161 182682). just one amongst many pi t closures in the North East of England. However there a r e several reasons why an industrial archaeology group should interest i tself in North WaLbottle and i t s immediate environment. Without hoping to give al l of these reaaona, i t may be instructive to consider some of them in r e v e r s e chronoIogica1 order .

Firstly, with the c losure of the North Walbottle Colliery, comes the closure also, of the l a s t self -acting !inclined plane in Northumberland. Since 1892 when the colliery was opened, i t s coals have almost certainly been t ransported down the steep banks of the Tyne Valley to Lemington, via this inclined plane, which i s in i t se l f worthy of study. Of fu r ther interest a r e the var ied rolling stock (including passenger coacht S ) which have worked th is line. Turning ta the colliery itself the Bctty and Mary shafts a r e served by two magnificent steam winding engines (c i rca 1900) which are in tuxn served by boilers, of which two are the original hand-stoked versions. Also working are two steam powered water pumps and a s team powered drop-hammer. The col l iery is alao notable f o r i t s drifted access saving travelling time underground, far its pithead baths; highlighted and honoured with a photograph in Pevsner's book "The Buildinge of England - Northumberland" f o r its associated col l iery village complete with viLlage 'lGreen" but with its few back-to-back9 now demolished, and for aeveraI other features .

Going further back in time we find that the neighbouring Coronation and Blucher Pits, t ransported the i r coal down the hillside via a continuaus rope tubway which operated parallel t o the North Walbottla Waggonway from about 1900 to 1955. And yet, going atil l f u r t h e r back, we l e a r n that these pita had themselves used the waggonway f r o m as f a r back a a 1827, long before the North Walbottla Colliery existed. A few of the Coronation and Blucher pit buildings still exist and the line of the tubway can be eaaily followed.

Not so eas i ly followed is the still eas I ic r waggonway which ran from older pita in the neighbourhood of North WalbottIe, down to the Staithe.6 at Lemington. Thus, prior to 1830, numerous pita e x i ~ t t d within a mile radius nor th of North

Walbot t l e Col l iery , at Iocations marked on contemporary maps a s G r enwic h Moor, Walbottle Moor and Hollywell Reins. Their waggonway had several branches , most of which can be t raced only with difficulty, but these branches eventually became one line befo re passing what is now the "Engine Inn" at Walbottle and descending through Walbottle village and so on to Lernington. Although the geography 01 t h i s waggonway is becoming c lea r , its history remains hidden.

There has been no attempt t o be comprehensive in this short a r t i c l e , but i t i s hoped that there has b e e n sufficient to whet a few appetites and that eventualIy the full story can b e told. The North Walbot t le P r o j e c t is the f i r s t t o be under - ' taken by members of the newly f o r m d Tyne Area Industrial Ar chaeolgy Group,

I w h i c h has useful1v f o c u s e d 11-te various disciplines and in te res t s of about a dozen people. To date we have visited the colliery and incline, held about six evening . discussion meetings, v i s x t r d B O U X C e S of iniorrnation, prepared maps and drawings , e tc .

The story is emerging b u t i s far f r o m complete.

Anyone having information o r can suggest a c c e s s to such idormation

concerning th is project , is asked t o contact S. M. Linsley at 48 Wedrnore Road,

Newcast le -upon -TV-. NE5 5NR.

~ * ~ * ~ : k * : ~ + ~ : : * * ~ ~ 1 F i ~ g L ~ ~ k + Y : 7 r * ~ ~ ~ ~ : : : : : ~ ~ : : : : : : < : ~ l i : : ~ ~ 4 ' . i : ~ : ~ ~ i i i . ' ~ ~ ~ ~ t f * * ~ r ; ~ * r * r ~ t ~ ~ - -. -7 ?-* A-b-L-b*>k+::c qL,- T T

Concluded from page 1 3

OTHER A L U M SITES

Iiawsker Bottoms Saltburn (Alum House S) Grosmont Easington

Kirkleatham Cringle Moor, Kirkby Ingleby, Midnight House Skelton Ellars

1765 (trials) 1670 revived 176519 1610 (short life) 1672 CO about 1674 17th century About 1730 18th century (trials) 17th century

ALUM INDUSTRY of North East Yorkshire S. Keith Chapman

Alum i s a commodity of much l e s s i n ~ p o r t a n c e today than i n former t imes, and the u s e s of the chemical a . r e now little known. In medieval times however, i t had a tremendous value and was used extensively in dyeing, tanning and in medicine. In modern t ~ m e s its place has been supprseded by cheap and efficient suh stitutes.

In dyeing alum w a s risecl a s a mordant to combine with dyes cleposite5 on t h e f i b r e s , the f a b r i c s used being cotton and silk

As a tanning agent alum was used very extensively. Its effect was to bind the f ib res of the leather together and r e n d e r i t waterproof.

In medicine it w a s used in many ways, in t h e preparation of gargles , pi l ls , powders and the l ike .

By ~ t s mild acidity j t coagulated milk, and it posses sed a remarkable astrinqent power. It was added ta tallotv to make candles hard and printers' cushions were rubbed with burn t alum t o make the ink st ick. A mixture of resin, s t a r c h a n d alurn added t o paper pulp formed a precipitate for paper sizing, and clothes and f a b r i c s ~oaked in alum solution were m a d e almost non inflammable, and the process was a l so followed for making waterproof fabrics.

There were many other ways of nsing alum and the establishment of the industry in th is country had far reaching consequences.

GEOLOGICAL

Geologically speaking a1 urnina is one of the earth's commonest compounds, hut in early t i m e s i t was available for alum making only in a lum rocks and shale, which would yield aluminium sulphate by a simple process of calcination and lixivjat ion.

HIS TORY

The alurn rock alunite i s found in the Levant and Eastern Mediterranean regiors . and this i s where alurn was f i r s t used in ancient Egyptian times according t o Greek and Roman sources.

In Europe alum used in the early Middle Ages appears to have come from these same rtgiona, but when the Eastern Empire fell. in 1453 the Turks took over the alum mines from the Genoese and worked them m their own account, exacting yearly tribute. This caused the Italians to look for alternative supplies, and in 145 9 mints were opened near Volterra, and in 1462 more important mines were opened at Tolfa, both in Italy. This latter discovery caused Pope Pius 11 to reassert the overlordship of the church over the terri tory and he claimed exclusive right8 over the produce of the mines. After the Reformation rnines were opened in Spain. France and Germany, and in England both Henry V111 and Queen Elizabeth 1 t r ied to establish mines in the Is le of Wight and Dorset to combat the Pope's monopoly 'The mines in W e a t e r n Europe produced alum from the Upper L i a s a l c series of shales, laid down during the Jurassir period.

The first succesafd works h England, were established at Belman Banks, near Guisborough, and worked by Sir Thomas Chalmer, but the actual discoverer was a Mr. Thomas Chaloner who was a cousin of Sir Thornas and this was made about 1595. Soon afterwards works were also commenced at Grosmont and Sandsend, the latter being most successful, due to the great depth of the alum shales here, about 90 feet, and aIso the easy transport by sea from the nearby beach.

The industry was taken over by the Crown early in the 17th'century, and then leased to various contractors for working, but for many years it suffered from severe financial difficultie S, main ly caused by inexperience 4n working the alum and deceptions by pretended experts. Eventually workmen were brought in from the Low Countr ie~ and by the 1630ts the alum mines were being successfully worked.

The Crown's interest was given up in 1679 by Charles U, and the subsequent changee during the industrial revolution in the cloth trade e t c . , caused a bigger demand for alum, and an upsurge in the number of mines being worked. B y 1769 16 alum works in Yorkshire were producing 5 , 0 0 0 tons of alum per year, and t h i ~ was the highest the industry reached. Afterwards overproduction caused the closing down of all but the most important works. By 1815 only 3,000 tons were being produced and in 1846 production was down to 1, 100 tons per annum. The industry finally closing about 1870 due to synthetic methods of production taking its place.

THE PROCESS OF MAKING ALUM

The shale was first quarried, then broken into small pieces and barrowed to the calcining heapa. There i t was heaped into clamps similar to a pyramid in shape and composed of alternate I a y s r ~ of alum shale and brushwood. The heap was set on fire when about four feet high, then the piling up and caIcining of the damp went on simultaneously and in the case of large clamps laeted several weeks.

N e x t the calcined shale was barrowed into steeping pits f i l Ied with water to extract the sulphate of alurnina. After standing for 24 hours the water was run off into s cistern, then conveyed into the next set of pits containing dry mine, until the snec i f ic ~ r a v i t y of liquor was reached. The liquor then ran in roughs

t o the alum house raw liquor cistern, afterwards to be boiled in large leaden pans, then run off into S- and mixed with alkaline, (urine, kelp). Two hours were allowed here to deposit sediment, then the liquor was conveyed to coalers to be stirred, then left t a crystalise After four days any liquid w a s

dra ised off and the crystals of alum which remained were put into a dreyning tub and washed before being dissolved in w a t e r and boiled again. The saturated

liquid was now poured into raaching casks to crys ta l i s e and after 16 days, holes wrre bored into t he s ides to allow t h e escape of any 'green liquors' or mothers. The a I u m was then laid in t h e storehouse f o r - drspatcl-r in sacks by s e a .

A P P R O X I M A T E DATES 0' PRINCIPLE ALUM SITES.

Belman Banks, Guisboroagh 1400 to late 1860's

Newgate Bank, I I 1600 t o 1620 (about)

Slapewath, I , 1600 to r h z o

Spawood, 1600 t o 1620 * Ash Holme, n r . Old M u l g ~ a v e Castle 1600 to about 1705

EIolme S , Mulgrave 1684 to 18th century

Sandsend, 1 1600 to 1871

Rockhole, I t 1600 t o 1620

Selby Ragg, Skelton 1612 to 1776

Saltwick, Rhitb y 1649 to 1821

Dunsley 1649 to 1665 Boulby 1649 to 1871 Lingberry ( ~ o f t ~ i s ) 1649 to 1863 Peak 1649 t o 1862 Carlton 1680 to 1774 Kettleness 1728 to 1871 Stoupe Rrow 1752 t o 1817 Thimbleby, Osmotheslay 1765 t o 1772

Littlebeck, Thornhill 1754 t o 1809 Godeland Banks, Littlebeck 1765 t o 1805

Eskdaleside, Old & New Works 1764 to 1817 Ayton 1765 to 1771

concluded at the foot of page 10

TRAMCAR RELICS in the North ( part 2) George Hearse

In view of the large amount of in teres t gene ra ted by the inventory ~t t ramway relt's s t i l l in position, we n u i \ l i s h a second l i si of rel ics pre s e ~ v c d a n d s t j l i In s r tu , or t r a m c a r b o d i e s - . I ; : Q o t h ~ r use.

Rel ics in s to re f o r the R c f < ~ o , ~ . i l Open -2ir M11scurr

S r c t r o n oT r o u n d x i r e with p a r : o!' soldered-nn e a r , Yewcas t l e 1701.

Overhead linesman's half ga l lon soider pot, r i r c a 190 1

Twn 1U" mechanical c l i n c h pal-s for 0000 round w i r r . c i r c ; 1911.

Spl~crrng ear for round wire, N P W C ~ S ~ ~ P L ~ P C ~ . !Q 10

D i t t o M i d -span. to repa i r b r e a k in wi re .

K e v ~ c a s l l r sct.:ion i n s u l a t o r for round wFre, circa 1910- 1 A .

P r e s c o t a i s - g a p section insulator for g r o o v e d W I T * 1 9 2 0 - 3 0 .

B o n s p r c ross ing and i n s u l a t o r , c l r c a 1930-35.

Modern B . 1 C C. sec t ion ~ n s u l a t o r , grooved w i r e

Yewcast le type douhlt feeder ea r , c i r c a 1920.

Two bridge hangers , s t e t 1 and b r a s s , ! 9 0 0

Line contac t to energise elrc t r ical ly-operated t r a m w a y point, f r o m G r e a t Nor th Road, Newcastle. In use 1932-5.

Short f lower pattern bow s t r ing bracket arms for c e n t r e poles i n street from N a r t h ~ ~ m b e r l a n d Street , Newcast le i n u s e 1901-21. 4 i n s tock .

Double deck tramcar, Sheffield Corporation but body similar t o t ramcars on Gateshead t r amways , and equipment s i m i l a r to Newcastle. In store at Consett, Co. D u r h a m .

Single deck t r amca r , Grimsby & Imrningham No. 26 , was Gateshead tramways No. 10 unt i l August 1951 . In s t o r e at C o n s e t t Iron C o .

R e l i c s still in situ, or put to other use -

Overhead wire rose t t es a r e s t i l l t o be seen on buildings in Blackett Street , Newcast le , City Road bridge abutments east of Holy Tesu,s Hospital , and at Byker c a r sheds .

Sect ion box insc r ibed "Corporation Tramways 1925" can be seen in New B r i d g e Street n e a r Cranhi l l Road, other boxes ex i s t in Bar rack Road, Scotswood Road, Elswick Road, and Shields Road, a l l in Newcastle. A further example is s t a l l in u s e in Dean Road, Depot. South Shields

Short pole bases can be seen in New Br idge S t r e e t near Manora Station, Newcastle, and one or ig inal '1901 pa t t e rn s t i l l e x i s t s near Delaval on Scotswood Road.

An Imperial Tramways pale base i s under stood to exist at Norton -on-Tees , and a complete pole o f later vintage in StocMon High Street .

In Newcastle s o m e span wires with ears s t i l l in position c a n be seen on E l s w i c k Road (abandoned 1943) and Sc otswood Road (abandoned 1950).

An e a r l y example of a section breaker and boom operated frog s t i l l exist In the old motor school at Byker Depot, now used as a clothing store.

N e a r Colwell on the A68 road right hand side f ac ing north, p a r t of a 5;" Newcastla t ram pole complete with finial of 1913 -14 vintage, has been used to make a gate post.

At Richardson's Cycle Shop in Hood Street, Newcastle, the 900 staircase f r o m Gateshead t r a m c a r No. 26 has been utilized as a s ta i rway t o the basements.

Turbinia Works sidings, Wallsend, tramway pattern bracket arms and bowstring hangers f r o m disused electric rai lway into works . Origin not known.

Byker Depot, Newcastle. T r a m c a r type Westinghouse motor ( p l u s one kept spare) for body shop t r a v e r s e r . Trackwork in main yard, aouble line with curves into body shop, etc . body shop

contains t r a c k on which body bogies (ex t r amca r ) are still u s e d f o r hos bodies. One pit EilIed $11 about 1925 with remarns of No. 25 1, des t royed in smash about 1924, and cemented over. Six roads remain covered up in main bus garage, almost new t rack and two points are exposed at south end of machine shop, one road down e n t i r e machine shop with point at north end. Three t racks remain i n f o r m e r overhead building and f o u r roads with one point in old t ruck shop. -4 single l ine tramway ran st i l l be seen running from the south exit of Byker Dtpct in to the Fossway and joining Shields Road, also point st i l l v i s ib l e amd short l l n p running into Union Road.

Manor S , Y e w r a s t l e , r ~ m o v a l of traffic island has exposed about 2Oft. of rail f rom siding ? a d i n 1 ? 1 1 :n f r o n t door of Tramway Head Off ice , t h i s w a s SG: the pay o r c a s h c n r and was not for passenger use

Westerhope, Piorthumberland, two short lengths of track exist .,t-hcrc public r o a d s c r o s s former reserxed t r a c k t r a m w a y .

Leming ton-on-Tyne . I n h o t weather r a i l c a n s t i l l b c seen onbr idgrs crossing railwav, Iine diverted 1021, on m o r e d i rec t route.

T r a m c a r bcdics put t o other uses .

Gateshead No. 8 ( l ) Numbleton Hill, Woolr .r , old P A. Y. E car r f 1901 -25. Gateshead 2, 19, and t:vo hl i lnes c a r s of l?Ol , hen houscv nor th o i Felton Lateshead 14, Market garden, Whi te M a r e Pool . Gateshead 7 3 ex Kewcas t l e 80, ~ a r d e n shed, Surlni side.

Tynemouth No. 2, garden s h e d , Heddon -on -the-Wall. (a lso r x S u r t o n R- Ashby\ Tynemouth N O . 15, outbuilding on farm, Fenwick . Nor thumberland. Car l i s l e , saloon off P res ton 3 912 c a r , Scotby Station. Car l is le , two bodies n e a r Da l s t on . Imperial Tramways W a t e r car and snow plough. UriIderness Sunderland h l , Basnes Park, Sunder land.

Newcastle Works C a r No. 168, rest on a pile of old t imber at W e s t Moor

A great m a n y bodies are known t o e x i s t and efforts arP being made to identify them. F u r t h e r l i s t s will follow.

A PENCIL MILL at Cronkley Scar Frank Atkinson

N ~ L Far from Cauldron Snout the Liver Teec: r u n s past Cronkley S c a r , on t h e yorl-:~l>ire bank, a n d h ~ r e on t h e isolated b l e a k r iver - s ide stand the r emzins of a curious small naterpow~rrd works: a penci l rriill.

The w o ~ d pencil in Durham di3.lrrt meant a sIate ~ e n c j l '(or m o r e strictly, a soft qhsly pencil u s e d To-r r v r i t i n ~ on a slate:, w h ~ r r a s a l e a d penciI ( s u c h as one kses today on p a n e r ) r a s c ~ l l a d a v i n e o r a keelwine From illis it wiII hr. real ised tha t the prrii il r r i 1 . l was making use of loc<d shale. T n d ~ c c l , at t h i s point of Ihr. T e e s ?.a??ey is a smal l i n l r e r of pre-Devonian rocks thrust up by hr-avy I ~ i i l t i n g

~i would seem tllal: this particu!ar f i s s ~ l e rack was ideal for t h c pnrpose a n d ;I smal l miIl was b u i l t t l lcrc presumxbly dklrinp the f i r s t half of the last century. A upat~rwheel w a s powcrcd V E T the s l i g h t d ivers ion of a small

stream f l o w j n ~ down t he Sr ar and i n t o the Tecs a n d the l e a t can still he traced.

Thr buiIding i s o n l ~ aljo11: 5 0 ! ' c ~ t I o r ~ g . :xiill para,llrl io the river and r l i l ~ i d c d into three r o o ~ n s : a large c-entral one , w i t h ;i s m a l l e r one at r a r h ~ n r l . The u p s t r c a r n small room v.,ctild S P C W 10 I i ~ v e housed the watcrwhrr.T and nearby Ire a pa i r of small rn i l l s to r l e~ O r ~ e imagines t h a t the centra l room ho~1i.r.d

thr: cvorlcshop and perhaps the othzr small room s e r v r d as store. T h r s ~ L a r ;

only bc tentative deduction.; at this stage, for the building i s duvr. to ground level and no records of its zrtual opera t ion a r e available W e do, however, have a s!igIlt r e fe rence i n the S:rat!~m.ore e s t a t e p a p e r s t o the P e n c i l ?vIill Quar ry . In 1874 a proposal w a s put Corwar-l for the I~asr. of the Quarry f o r $. 10 p e r annurn. and a royaltu or 1 /14 of the net value of the pencil S at the Mill . (The pencils were to he de l ive red t o firho1esaIe dealers ir. cases holding 24 , 0 0 0 penc i l s , at 2 . ; / 9d p e r thousand). Late.-, j r ~

1882, a r e n t of f 5 per annum was discussed.

This P e n c i l ~ i l l ( v a r i o u s 1 ~ r ~ f e r r c d t o as of Cronkley Scar o r w3fidy Bank), despite the d i scuse ions about l ease in the 1870's and 1 R 8 Q 7 s , was out of u s r when Cndworth wro te h is "Holiday Guide to Darlington ' in t S Q O . V e r y little i s known about its operation, through perhaps some 19th century Cyclopaedia contains a description or t he manufacture of what w a s doubtless once a

popular product. We have not yet identif ied any such account. C a n anyone help? A careful excavation might also help to elucidate the operation of the Mill, but moxe documentary or h i s to r i ca l evidence ought t o be adduced before excavation begins.

TEESSIDE INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY GROUP

Summer Pro~ramme - 1968 Thursday 25 April R. G. M. and public lecture on L'The Growth of the

Railway System i n and around Teesside" given by Mr. K . Hoole in the Dorman Museum, Linthorpe Road. A. G. M. at 7. 15 p. m. Lecture at 7. 3 0 p, m.

Sunday 14 A p r i l , Excavation of the BouIby Alum Works; certain parts Sunday 12 M a y , a n d of the site will be more fully opened to check method following Sunday S . of construction, dimensions, and the nature of the

production processes c . 1850. Rendezvous at s i t e , grid ref. N Z / 7 5 9194 (approach along cliff from BouiIby hamlet) at 11. 30 a . m. Work normally continues until 4. 30 - 5 . Q p. m.

Saturday 20 April t o Roatdale: excavation of a medieval glass-kiln Sunday 5 May. organised by the Universities of Sheffield and Leeds .

Ass is tance from members of the Group welcomed at any t ime . Equipment provided, e b c r i t n c e not essential. Grid R e f . S 3 1745932.

May ( d a t a to be fixed) Greatham: recording survey of a nineteenth century salt-well rig organised by the Recorder.

Sunday 30 June Stockton: photographic survey of area due for (Weather permitting) redevelopment between High St. (E. s ide) and River

Tees. Assistance particularly requested f rom m e m b e r s with suitable cameras (aspecidly 35 mm. ) .

Members m a y aIso be interested in a weekend course on the Dialect of the Yorkshire Fishing I n d u s t 9 arranged by the Dorman Museum for 10th - 12th M a y (details from the ~ u s e u m ) . It is also hoped to arrange a visit to an old- established ironworks, and a survey of the Vulcan Foundry.

Members are requested, if poss ible , to l e t the Secretary or Field Secretary (from whom further details m a y be obtained) know in advance which projects they hope to assist with.

Secretary: M r . R . L. Pickles, Field Secretary: M r . S . K. Chaprnan, 15 Cromwell Terr., 26 Springfield Avenue, Thornaby, Teesside. B rotton, Saltburn.

INDEX to Bulletins 1 to 5

Alum Industry 5, 1 1 Atkinaon, F. 1, 3 , 8 , 11; 4, 2; 2, 1; z, 17 Beamish Colliery 5, 2

Castleside 2, 2 Chaldron wagons 5 24 Chaprnan. K. 3, 24; 5, 3 , 1 1 Chaprnan, N. A. 4, 16 Chapman. M r s . V. 3. 7 Cleveland Ironstone 5, 16 Cleveland waddle fan 2, 24 Coal workings ,1 15 County Durham sites 1, 3 Cramlington hangar 5, 2 Crathorne Mill 5, 8 Crockett, D. 2, l Cronkley Scar 5, 13

Duxharn(County) sites l-, 3

East Herrington 1. 9 ; 2, 3 , 6

Farmsteads 5, 16; 3, 7 Famous North Easterners 3, 26

Gateshead 1, 1 Grid references 1, 10 Griffith, E. P. 4, 1 2

Hay, T. T. 5, 22 Healeyfield smelt m i l l 2, 2 Hearse, G. 4; 20; 5 , - 14 Hett 2, 15 Hexham 4, 12 Horse gin 1, 9; 2. 10 Hughes, M. 4, 16

Icehouses 4, 12 Ironstone 2 , 3

Killhope 1, I

Millstones 2, 2 2 Museum, Regional 3. 2 ; 5, 2

North Easterners: famous 3, 26 Northumberland farmsteads 2, 16 Northumberland sites 2, 2; 3, h

Pencil Mil l , 17 Port Mulgrave 1, 10; 5, 3

Recording farmsteads 2, 7 Regional open air Muscum 2, 2; 5, 2 Rowley station 2, 2 Ryhope ColIiary 2, H ; 3, Z Ryton-on-Tyne 1. I

Seaham Harbour 3, 3, 24 Snow fencc 4, 1 1 South Yet ton Col l iery 2, 10 Stanhope & Tyne Railway 4, 11 Stoyel, A. 2. 15, 22

Teesside 5, P & Tramway relic.; 4, 20; 2, 14 Tyneside Group 2 , 2

Varndcl l , R. L, 1 Ventilation 4, 15

Waddle fan 2, 8; 3, 2, 14 WaIbottle project: 5 , 2 , 9 Warden Law 2, 3 Watermills 4, 22 Weat Boldon 3, 2 W h t r l t r , M. G. C. W. 1, 1 ; 4, 11, 20 Winlaton chain shop 3, 2

Yorkshire Alum industry 2, 11 Yorkshire sites 3, 27; Q, 1; 5, 2

Published by the Industrial Archaeology Group for the North East .

Hon. Secretary: M. G. C. W. Wheeler, c /o The Bowes Mu~eum,

Barnard Castle, Co. Durham.