The caption on this photograph was “Mine horses out to graze during holidays near Claphow, North Skelton mine in the background.” Derick Pearson has advised: “This is at the high side of Clap How (Clapper) bridges; travelling from New Skelton to Lingdale involves passing under Clap How bridges. Turn left off the road immediately after the bridges and up a dirt track to where these fields are/were. On the left of the photograph you can see the farm house which is below the railway and the bridges. To the right is North Skelton mine as said in the original title; the underpass which goes under the railway lines is also visible. Martin Fox adds: “Looks like building in background could be what was called the Gas House. The Payne’s lived there; Ethel and George (my gran and grandad); Margaret (my mam), Doreen, Anne, Brian and Arthur (my aunts and uncles). There used to be a gas holder near to the house.”
Image courtesy of several sources, thanks to Derick Pearson and Martin Fox for the updates.
A lovely clear shot of the mine, looks as though it’s in full production. Anne Peacock asks: “My uncle Lawrence Henry Peacock was killed in North Skelton Mine on the 5 February 1957 aged 38. I cannot find any information on this accident.” Can anybody assist with this query?
Image courtesy of George Pearson and others, thanks to Anne Peacock for her enquiry.
One in a series of photographs of North Skelton mine, the caption says taken from the north about 1900. This is entirely possible, as the centre figure of the group in the cabin doorway appears to be Thomas Ranson; Manager of the mine in the early 1900s.
A photograph of North Skelton Mine, taken in the 1960’s before the closure of the mine.Danny Plews advises: “I worked for a while down this mine, firstly being a Sprog Boy and then within the mine driving a loco pulling the filled wagons from in-bye and bring empty ones back. I was on a wage, but the miners were paid by the wagon load, I got 4d after the 24th tub. You really earned it! Health and safety went out of the window, because we had to earn a living! Wild horses would NOT drag me down there again!” Mike Elliott asks: “There seems to be lots of info available about North Skelton mine up to the point of closure and then nothing. I’ve been trying find out when the headgear was removed, the railway lifted, when the shafts were capped (or filled?) when were spoil heaps removed and where to?”
Image courtesy of George Pearson, thanks to Danny Plews for the update and can anybody assist with Mike Elliott’s questions?
A different view of North Skelton mine, how clearly the pit wheel shows up. When the mine was in operation it dominated the whole village, this would be most obvious to residents as most of them were in employment owing to the mine. Image courtesy of Joan Webster.
Nice dog with it’s owner, now known to be Thomas Ranson who was the Manager at North Skelton ironstone mine in the late 1800’s. Mr Ranson has often been wrongly identified as Mr Brown at North Skelton mine. The 1891 Census lists Thomas Ranson as Manager with his son Robert as a Deputy Overman, the whole Ranson family (ten in total) lived at numbers 1 and 2 Bolckow Street, North Skelton; by the 1901 and 1911 Census the family had moved to 1 Vaughan Street.
Originally titled ”Mr Brown North Skelton Mine” when this image arrived to the Archive, prompted the question: ”Who was Mr Brown?”. Neil Baldwin now tells us: ”Mr Brown was an engineer at North Skelton pit, he was my father-in-law’s great grandfather (along the Butler family side).”
Image courtesy of several sources, thanks also to Neil Baldwin for resolving the query.
Now the Archive knows that these are some of the workmen from the mine (possibly one shift?); but what date would it be? Also can anybody provide any names?
Underground at North Skelton, the Archive was not going to hazard a guess at to what is going on in this photograph, and awaited for someone out there to tell. Chris Twigg came to the rescue with : “I believe its a Walker compressed air drill.” Presumably this would be prior to inserting explosives into the holes for blasting? Danny Plews adds: “The drill bit was at least 4 to 5 feet long and had its dangers with possible finding gas or in the case when I was down there, WATER from another old mine tunnel. When this happened the driller got a soaking – it didn’t happen to me but saw it happen which meant that we had to attempt to plug the hole – not an easy task. When this happened we started another tunnel to try and get all the ore that we could possibly extract!”
Image courtesy of the Pem Holliday Collection and others; thanks to Chris Twigg and Danny Plews for the updates.
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