Skelton Park Ironstone Mine (1870 - 1938)

The sinking at Skelton Park ironstone mine started in 1870, by three brothers (Isaac Lowthian, Thomas and John Bell), to supply their ironworks at Port Clarence. The mineral rights and land was leased from Mr Wharton of Skelton Castle. The sinking of the two shafts were completed in 1872, and in 1873 the mine produced 176,238 tons of ironstone. The mine worked the Cleveland Main Seam of ironstone; at Skelton Park the seam was 3.1m thick, at 115m below the surface, with an iron content of about 32% (probably the highest concentration of iron found within Cleveland ironstone).[1] At its peak in 1902, Skelton Park Mine employed 571 people (469 working below ground, 102 on the surface).[2] Park Pit finally closed in 1938 having produced over 18 million tons of ironstone over the years. In 1987 the five principal buildings at Skelton Park Pit were designated as Grade II Listed buildings. These include the fan-house of the upcast shaft, built in 1882, which housed a steam powered Schiele fan to ventilate the mine.[3]