Site Records

Site Name: Rosedale Mines & Tramway

Rosedale
North York Moors
North Yorkshire
OS Grid Ref: SE7295

Site visit: June 1988 & July 1990

The N.E.R. recorded having transported over 200,000 tons of calcined ore in its first full year of operation rising to nearly 300,000 tons in 1864. Failure of The Rosedale & Ferryhill Iron Company caused closure in March 1879 only to be re-opened by the West Rosedale Ironstone Co. which continued the workings until final closure in 1881.

Surveying the site today you can find the site of the engine shed (by the concrete edges to the inspection pit), the masonry of the kilns, the foundations of the kilns chimney and its boiler house and the pond, several ex-railway cottages and the track on the inclined tramway to Hollins Mines although the bridge under the road has been filled in.

Retracing our steps to Blakey Junction and joining the branch to Rosedale East Mines.
This single track branch was opened on August 18th 1865. The 4.75 mile route follows the valley sides of upper Rosedale on a falling gradient, up the west side, round the valley head and back down the East side, passing within 300 yards of the isolated Lion Inn (which still serves excellent meals and real ale) at a height of 1293ft on the Hutton-le-Hole to Castleton Road.

En-route round the dale head the line crosses the headwaters of Reeking Gill and the River Seven on large embankments pierced by culverts'

There is a siding to Nab Scar Quarries where a spur diverges above High Gill which carries on at the higher level to a number of sidings at the High Baring mine buildings. Below, the line continues past the Black Houses (linesmen's cottages), the New Kilns and loading stages at High Baring and after about 0.333mile passes the old kilns to reach the terminus at Rosedale Goods Station at Low Baring (SE708978), often known locally as 'The Depots'.

Rosedale Goods Station in 1929

At the depot there are a long row of typical N.E.R. cottages, coal drops, a goods shed and the Depot Cottage. The station was closed in 1928. Today the goods shed is used by the local farmer, the depot cottage is still inhabited and some stone remains of the coal drops.

Rosedale East Mines in 1925

In the 1870's there was a 3ft gauge tramway about a mile long to horizontal ironstone deposit outcrop towards Bell Top overlooking North Dale.Rosedale East Mines (SE706989) started operations in 1859/60 and continued on and off under several owners until the General Strke in 1926. The bed of workable ironstones varied to a maximum of 14ft in a 16ft seam in which there was 14inch thick seam of magnetic stone. Water was always a problem requiring extensive pumping operations. There were several horizontal drifts into the hillside generally above the N.E.R. branch. The drifts had a 9ft headroom and some were 12ft wide. Candles and open lamps were used, the only danger being foul air. The main ventilation was the chimney still standing above the old kilns near Low Baring. 168,000 tons of ironstone was produced in 1866 doubling by the early 1870s.

In 1900 an electricity generating plant was installed and the electricity was used for lighting, drilling and haulage though this was all was removed by 1911.

OTHER MINING
Blakey Mines at Farndale East (SE682975) operated 6 drifts from 1876 to 1895 though it was stated in 1913 that workable ironstone deposits were not proved in Farndale and all that remains are traces of the mine buildings and the winding house at the top of the incline. The site of a bloomery has been located near Oak Crag (SE679963) and bell-pits of an unknown date can be seen near Park Corner on Harland Moor (SE 675927)

Inferior coal has been mined in shallow pits for centuries and their small waste heaps can be seen locally. They are most numerous around Sledge Shoe (SE 687977) and the Lion Inn (SE 680995)

There was a re-opened coal pit during the 1926 strike at Rosedale Head (NZ 680017) with many other shallow coal-pits including the following:-

About 20 at Hamer Slack (SE730997)
About 20 at West Gill Head (NZ 705005)
About 20 at NZ 686016
A scattered group of about 50 around Reeking Gill Head (NZ 695010)
Up to 50 near Ralph Cross (NZ680017)

Jet mining was extensive in the area in the 19th century but had ceased by 1897. Traces can be found at several places including Dale Head (NZ 686003), Hill Cottages (SE705973), School Row (SE 711974), and Northdale (NZ 722975) and above Hobb Farm (SE716957)

After all mining had ceased there was no demand for the railway which was declared closed 8th June 1929. The whole branch is now a recognised footpath.

Source: Research Report No.9 - Rosedale Mines & Railway by R.H.Hayes & J.G.Rutter published in 1974 by Scarborough & District Archaeological Society

If you are in the area see also Rosedale Royal Observer Corps Post

For further pictures of the Rosedale Mines & tramway click here

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