Aysdalegate Mine

Overview

A very short-lived Cleveland ironstone mine above Lockwood, owned by William Barningham, who has been described as a violent drunkard who made a fortune. Production ran for only three years, from 1877 to 1880. The remaining ironstone was taken later from Spa Wood, pillars being left to hold up the houses and farm above, and the capped 268-foot shaft is now a small roundabout.

History

Aysdalegate was held by the Barninghams from 1863 — Messrs Barningham to 1865, William Barningham himself from 1877 to 1881 and his executors from 1881 until 1902, on Buddlepit's record of the tenancies — but production took place on the site only between 1877 and 1880. William Barningham, the ironmaster who owned it, has been described as a violent drunkard who made a fortune. That short working explains the gap between the sources: Buddlepit gives the mine as worked from 1863 to 1902 and the Wikipedia table of Cleveland mines from 1863 to 1880, and both are counting the tenancy rather than the three years of production inside it. The ironstone left behind was worked later from Spa Wood, a mile and a half north-west across the Slapewath gap, with pillars left standing to support the houses and the farm above; the Wikipedia table records Aysdalegate becoming part of the Spa Wood mine as ventilation shafts. The precaution was not a complete success: the ground at the sharp bend at the bottom of Birk Brow, at the edge of that area, suffered subsidence in 1929.

Geology

The mine worked the Cleveland ironstone of the Lias, the bedded Jurassic ore of the Cleveland Hills, here on high ground at about 166 metres above Lockwood Beck — the highest of the mines in this immediate group.

Geological setting: Sedimentary Beds and Seams (well documented example)

Workings

A shaft 268 feet deep, now capped. Its winding house was the large detached building at the east end of the terrace beside it; the other houses in the terrace were the mine's workshops, and the large house at the west end was the mine manager's. After production ended the shafts were taken into the Spa Wood mine for ventilation.

Closure

Production ended in 1880, three years after it began, though the Barningham tenancy ran to 1902 and the shafts went on serving Spa Wood for ventilation. The tabular sources give the mine's end as 1880 or 1902 according to which they are counting.

What remains

The capped shaft is now a small roundabout on the road between Margrove Park and Birk Brow. The terrace beside it survives: the large detached building at its east end was the winding house, the houses between were the mine's workshops, and the large house at the west end was the manager's.

The capped 268-foot shaft, under a small roundabout, and the terrace of former winding house, workshops and manager's house beside it.

Related mines

• Spa Wood Mine — Aysdalegate's shafts were taken into the Spa Wood mine as ventilation shafts after its own working ended.

Nearby mines

• Stanghow Mine — 0.7 km N
• Spa Mine — 1.6 km NW
• South Skelton Mine — 1.7 km N
• Spa Wood Mine — 1.8 km NW
• Boosbeck Mine — 2.0 km N

Straight-line distance, within 15 km. Show on the map.

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• Buddlepit records Messrs Barningham from 1863 to 1865, William Barningham from 1877 to 1881 and the executors of William Barningham from 1881 to 1902. ¹
• Buddlepit gives the mine as worked from 1863 to 1902; the Wikipedia table of Cleveland mines gives 1863 to 1880 at NZ652149 and notes that it later became part of the Spawood Mine as ventilation shafts. (disputed) ^2,1
• The mine later became part of the Spawood Mine, its shafts serving for ventilation. ²
• Production took place on the site only between 1877 and 1880, though the Barningham tenancy ran from 1863 to 1902. ³
• The capped shaft is 268 feet deep and is now a small roundabout; the large detached building at the east end of the terrace beside it was the winding house, the other houses were the mine's workshops and the large house at the west end the manager's. ³
• The remaining ironstone was worked later from Spa Wood with pillars left to support the houses and farm above; the ground at the bottom of Birk Brow suffered subsidence in 1929. ³

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) Aysdalegate Mine — Buddlepit Mine Database (from Northern Mine Research Society data)
2. (secondary) Ironstone mining in Cleveland and North Yorkshire — Wikipedia
3. (secondary) Aysdalegate Mine — East Cleveland's Industrial Heartland

Record created: 12 September 2026 · Last researched: 12 September 2026