Grumpytramp
10 years ago
I was having a wee skint at British Mining No. 65 "Allendale. Tynedale and Derwent Lead Mines" this evening while taking a prolonged soak. I hadn't appreciated that British Steel at their vesting days in 1967, as well as operating the Beaumont Mine in Allendale was operating the likes of East Whiteheaps and West Whiteheaps mines.

I know that they inherited opencast mines at Corby and in Lincolnshire (and I think underground workings in the Scunthorpe area)

Is there a comprehensive list of the mines that BSC operated anywhere?
staffordshirechina
10 years ago
I have never seen a list. As all things, different areas were managed by different offices. Probably the only way to be sure would be to trawl the official lists of mines for that year.
However, when I next see our retired geologist, who was working in that area at the time, I will ask.

Les
Daggers
10 years ago
The small book by Alan Booth called British Small Metal Mines North lists Beaumont Mine as being run by British Steel until it's closure, It appears that most of the old lead mines that then became spar mines where operated by BSC as they needed the spar as a flux in the production of steel.
Daggers
Grumpytramp
10 years ago
Ta

So far I have picked up that BSC operated:

Beaumont Mine, Allenheads [Flourspar]
Blackdene Mine, St Johns Chapel, Weardale [Flourspar]
Groverake Mine, Rookhope, Weardale [Flourspar]
Whiteheaps Mine, Hunstanworth, Derwent Valley [Flourspar]

Beckerment Mine, Cumberland [Hematite]

Harrendale Quarry, Shap [Limestone]
Buckhill
10 years ago
There was also Micklam (fireclay) and its brickworks, closed 1981 when the Workington furnaces finished.
somersetminer
10 years ago
Dont forget Santon/Dragonby Mines (North Lincolnshire), wondering if these might be the most recently worked of the group. Still used to this day to as a water supply for the TATA works
Buckhill
10 years ago
Florence and Ullcoats were taken over by BSC after the Millom and Askam company closed them in 1968. Haile Moor was also taken on (United Steels) in 1967. Ore from these three was raised at Beckermet.

Rowrah Quarries were BSC run too.
staffordshirechina
10 years ago
A decision was taken to get out of mining altogether.
Some mines lingered slightly longer than others purely for work necessary for safe closure. Open pit mines also closed at the same time.
Apparently, the ore now used in the furnaces is silica based and is not compatible with the carbonate based stuff from UK mines and open pits so they couldn't pick and mix either.
Graigfawr
10 years ago
At renationalisation in 1967 BSC inherited Llanharry Haematite Mine in Glamorgan from the Guest Keen Iron & Steel Co Ltd, a subsidiary of Guest, Keen & Netttlefolds Ltd; it operated until 1974. This was the only Welsh mine operated by BSC that I am aware of - I believe that Richard Thomas & Baldwins Ltd had closed its Dinas Silica Mine prior to renationalisation.
somersetminer
10 years ago
"staffordshirechina" wrote:

A decision was taken to get out of mining altogether.
Some mines lingered slightly longer than others purely for work necessary for safe closure. Open pit mines also closed at the same time.
Apparently, the ore now used in the furnaces is silica based and is not compatible with the carbonate based stuff from UK mines and open pits so they couldn't pick and mix either.



'Spathic' ore, deadens the furnace apparently, as you would expect from adding extra CO2 to a combustion reaction. The same problem they had with the Somerset/Devon ore 100 years before.
staffordshirechina
10 years ago
I am sure that pure economics were at the root of it all.
The Lincolnshire ores were basically limestone with a bit of iron in it. About 20% at best. So all the coke and spar and every other minor addition just went to create a slag mountain.
The current ores are around the 60 to 70% mark so I am told.
Also, the management style, being a nationalised industry, etc, was a bit too biased and exotic for real life.
They are still paying the price.........
somersetminer
10 years ago
Yes indeed! Typical Swedish ore is 65-70% apparently. Australian ore isnt far off that either, according to the aussie mill techs we are working with at the moment, Ayers rock is just a big lump of iron with a bit of rock in it! :lol:
And people wonder why we cant mine it competitively here...
somersetminer
10 years ago
"somersetminer" wrote:

Yes indeed! Typical Swedish ore is 65-70% apparently. Australian ore isnt far off that either, according to the aussie mill techs we are working with at the moment, Ayers rock is just a big lump of iron with a bit of rock in it! :lol:
And people wonder why we cant mine it competitively here...



*mill engineers I should say, they are graduates not just operatives*
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