Anyone who has read the “Cleveland Mining Incidents” series of books will know the injuries sustained underground could be horrific.

 

Bulmers directory of 1890 list the following staff
Miners’ Hospital – Messrs. Merryweather & Dunn, medical officers

Kellys directory of 1909 lists the following staff

Skelton Cottage Miners Hospital – John Thorner. LRCP Edin, Surgeon.
Skelton Cottage Miners Hospital – Frederick P Wigfield MB, Surgeon.
Skelton Cottage Miners Hospital – Miss Clara Baldwin, Matron.
The hospital built in 1883 is now a private residence.

Apart from the very obvious Guibal Fanhouse closer investigation of the site reveals some more details.

Running due east from the fanhouse is a culvert with a metal pipe inside, it runs for nearly 200 feet and remains of a building can be seen on the surface where it ends.

 

Further east again in the undergrowth appears to be the base of a chimney (or the base of a privvy depending on your personal interpretation)

Slightly to the north of that a stone engine base can also be found hidden in the undergrowth.

North Skelton mine hold a number of records. It was the last ironstone mine in Cleveland to close, having operated from the early 1870s until the 17th January 1964. It was the deepest mine in Cleveland with a 770ft shaft. It was the last in Cleveland to use a regularly use a steam winder, right up until 1951 (although Lingdale did keep one in working order as a backup until closure in 1962)
Little remains today as the site is within the current premises of Tees Components who very kindly allowed our small group to photograph the remaining buildings.

The winding house with its 1871 date stone and small door in the wall for winding ropes is the most substantial original structure.

Other original buildings remain, although they have been modified for other uses.

Outside the site is a small headframe, although the real thing was very different as can be seen against the winding house
 

Skelton Park is the most complete set of ironstone mining buildings left in Cleveland, the mine was operated by Bell Brothers between 1872 and 1923, then Dorman Long through to 1938.

The most substantial building on site is the Main Winding House, dated 1872. This housed a steam winding engine which wound cages in the adjacent 384ft deep downcast shaft. The roof of this building was intact until late 1994 when it finally succumbed to the elements.

  

 

The largely intact Power House originally housed an air compressor for drilling and haulage, attached to this are a small ambulance room and time office.

 

The impressive Schiele fanhouse building also houses the 378ft deep upcast shaft. The different coloured 8ft of bricks at the top of shaft date from its conversion to also be winding shaft as well as ventilation.

 

 

Next to the fanhouse is a Secondary Winding House, its construction suggest it was modified for hauling in the upcast shaft and may originally have been used during construction of the downcast shaft which can be seen from the window.

 

Numerous other ranges of mine buildings still exist, such as a saddlers shop and Provinder House used for preparation of feed for the horses.

 

Also a Blacksmiths and Joiners workshops.

  

A substation from the electrification of the site in 1909 is shown below, the base of a chimney, weighbridge, boiler pump house, horse gins and a couple of powder magazines are also hidden away within the site. 

 

Please note that the mine site is on private land and the mine managers house approached from Skelton Ellers has been converted into a private residence so should not be visited. That said the path from Back Lane in Skelton is heavily used by dog walkers. A detailed survey of the site can be found in the excellent “Skelton Park Ironstone Mine” by Simon Chapman.

 

 

 

Widely considered to be a whipping post, but I have heard it suggested it may be nothing more than an old sign post.

I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.

Nearby are some reconstructions of an ironstone tub and kibble.

The most prominant building on site is the square compressor & haulage engine house.

 

The attached upcast winding house is situated adjacent to the capped shaft (216 feet deep – capped c.1985), a guide roller can still be seen in the slot through which the cables travelled. 

 

 

The wooden stable blocks and unique for the area, and its pretty amazing they havn’t been demolished or burnt down when you see the general state of the site and people who hang around there.

 

Numerous other buildings can be seen around the site, which is remarkably complete.

 

 

(note the weather wasn’t wildly changable that day, the photos are taken about sixth months apart)

A brick cap stands around the downcast shaft, the upcast is a short distance away but filled and obscured by undergrowth.

The remains of another building can be seen adjacent to the shaft, the engine based of the winder associated with the shaft.

The powder house dates from around 1877 and is of a very similar design to the one at Eston, its also extremely overgrown and dirty and looks to be the haunt of young drinkers and wire burners.