Walkers Are Welcome Rosedale Abbey is part of the “This Exploited Land of Iron” Project. Click for more info.

Rosedale Community News

Welcome to the Rosedale blog. This is where we share news and information about events in Rosedale and the wider community throughout the year. You’ll also find news about the village timetable, our micro enterprises, school events, clubs, and lively socials.

Archive for the ‘Ironstone Mining’ Category

ROSEDALE HISTORY ARCHIVE TEA AND CHAT – 3 MARCH 2024

Posted on . No Comments

The quarterly Tea and Chat of the Rosedale History Archive will be on Sunday 3 March from 2.00 to 4.00pm in the Updale Reading Room/Village Hall. The extensive historical archive will be accessible and also the usual excellent tea and cakes. Admission is free but a donations to the Archive would be welcomed.

PAINTING FOR AUCTION

Posted on . No Comments

A chance to win a striking original artwork of Rosedale!

This lovely painting, by professional artist Jo Wiley of Whitby, is offered for auction to raise money for the Save Rosedale Church Appeal.

If you would like to make an offer by sealed bid, please drop your bid price, your name and email/phone number off at The Oaks or Phoenix House, both on Gill Lane or at Thorgill House.  The painting has a reserve of £140.00. 

The result of the auction will be made at the Moorland Voices choral concert in the church this Friday, 29th October.  If you are at the concert, sealed bids can be taken on the night.

NEW ROSEDALE MINES AND RAILWAYS BOOK OUT!

Posted on . No Comments

Copies of the new, updated and much expanded edition of the Mines & Railway booklet by Hayes & Rutter, first published in 1971, were handed over to Linda Chambers of the Rosedale History Society by Chris Hall of Scarborough Historical & Archaeological Society, the publishers.

This edition is the result of months of work by the editor, Tom Mutton, Manager for the Land of Iron project, together with significant contributions of new material from the history society, local industrial heritage expert Malcolm Bisby, local museums and many others.

Copies of the new book can be obtained in Rosedale from either Abbey Stores at £8 per copy or from the history society at rosedalehistory@hotmail.co.uk and online direct from the publishers

https://www.sahs.org.uk/Publications-of-the-Scarborough-Archaeological-and-Historical-Society.html

The price is also £8.00 but post and packing extra.

Linda Chambers and Chris Wall, with the new book

Land of Iron Update – 19 September 2019

The work on the line and kilns has continued apace since the last update. Work to stabilise and add some weather resistance to the Bank Top kilns is now completed.

Bank Top ironstone kilns in their new, stabilised state
A closer view of some of the pointing and new props on the back wall of the kilns

Sean Doughty and his team have also completed the restoration of the line through what was a swamp by Indian Steps by dumping heather bales and re-laying the track on top – an excellent job as you can see:

The restored track beside Indian Steps

The William Birch contractor team are busy on stabilising the southern buttresses of the Iron Kilns by removing vegetation growing in the stone and brick work and then repointing to weather proof the structures:

The remains of Black Houses have been re-pointed
Cherry picking at Iron Kilns

The site manager and foreman (on the left) briefing members of the project team

There is now considerable concern over parts of the Stone Kilns where there has been a major stone fall at bay no 10. Engineers and members of the project team have recently inspected the damage and plans are being made for remedial action to be taken soon.

A recent collapse of part of the inner wall of kiln no 10 at Stone Kilns

Keep watching this space for further updates!

Land of Iron Update – 31 August 2019

Work continues to stabilise and conserve the Bank Top ironstone kilns and it should be finished by mid September. Sean Doughty and his team are busy working their way around the line from Blakey to Reeking Gill, restoring culverts and cutting new ones where necessary as well as diverting the path around the worst of the swampy areas.

Dumping heather bales at the Indian Steps cutting
Erecting scaffolding at the watering station at Blakey prior to restoration work
The Iron Kilns work site as at 1 September 2019
Some testing of lime mortar pointing on the southern buttress of the Iron Kilns

The line remains closed while all this work goes on – just a reminder!

Land of Iron Update – 4 August 2019

As reported earlier, work is well under way on the Bank Top kilns. Now work has started on the northerly of the two sets of kilns at East Mines to stabilise and preserve what is possible with these extensive remains.

Protective fencing has been put up prior to conservation work beginning.

Work to restore the trackway around Dale Head continues and the line remains closed until it is completed.

Line Closure – 8 July to 30 September 2019

Natural England have announced the temporary removal of open access to the old railway line from Reeking Gill around Dale Head to Blakey Junction from 8 July to 30 September to allow essential work to be done restore the path as part of the Land of Iron project- see the flyer for details:

Closure Notice

Signage has been put by NYMNP at 16 access points to the line around the dale.

The Stone Kilns banking as at 7 July 2019

Land of Iron Update – Bank Top Kilns

Work has started today, Monday 13 May, on conserving and stabilising the ironstone roasting kilns at Bank Top, Rosedale. Initially, the area around the kilns will be fenced off and scaffolding erected to allow William Birch Ltd to carry out much needed conservation work on these impressive monuments to Rosedale’s ironstone ‘Klondike’ which started here at West Mines in 1856.

A lot of work has been done under the project on the ironstone workings and railway line at East Mines (see previous LoI updates) so it is good to see that West Mines, also known as Low Works, are now getting the same treatment.

Access to the lower car park at Bank Top will be restricted during the period of works so visitors are encouraged to use the upper car park.

Work ongoing as at 17 May 2019

Land of Iron Update – 22 October 2018

If you have been up on the line recently you will have seen some major work completed to stabilise the old track bed by clearing old culverts and making new ones to ensure that water drains away without eroding the track and path.

A new embankment at Blackhouses, filling in the major landslip there.
A restored culvert near Sturdy Bank
A cleared  entrance to the double culvert at the Sturdy Bank embankment

If you are interested in helping out, check the NYMNP website at www.northyorkmoors.org.uk to see what volunteer tasks are planned for next year.

The upstream entrance to the large culvert at Reeking Gill. More work is planned to stabilise the immediate area.