This photograph can only have been taken in Eston Mine where the height of the Cleveland Main Seam reached maximum thickness here. The miner on the left is holding a light on the end of the pole to help with locating the prop. The sharpened point is very evident. David Richardson suggested: “Eston Mine, in the thick seam district about 1925.” Craig Hornby tells us: ”Again Eston in 1920 is confirmed. Part of a set of photographs taken for the ”Iron and Coal Trades Review”. Eston was the only Cleveland mine where deputies worked in gangs of three, due to the collosal size of the timbers, imported from Norway – apart from during World War I – when imports were interrupted. The woods of Lazenby Bank, just below the 1871 bridge area/ SS Castle were harvested and transported via ‘The New Cut’ a new access route that linked up to the Lazenby-Guisborough cart road at the south-west corner of the present Wilton Golf course. The new cut and cart road are still there, leading down to the Conker Wood layby. The timbers were taken via road to Eston Low Drum or The Tip Yard and sent in at Trustee. Timber was also harvested at this time from the plantations around pit-top and lowered down the ‘smokeshaft’ (Upsall No. 2). The old steam Engine house had been recently replaced by an electric hauler and was used to store timber. Source: George Appleby (Miner 1911-39) speaking to Craig in 1988/89 at age of 91/92 years.”
Image courtesy of George Pearson, thanks to David Richardson and Craig Hornby for complete clarification on this image and the working at Eston mine.
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