Cliff Mine

Overview

The first of Bell Brothers' east Cleveland ironstone mines, begun in 1860 near the coast at Skinningrove. It raised over fifty-eight thousand tons in 1880 and was worked out before the decade was over.

History

Bell Brothers commenced the Cliff Mines in 1860, near the coast north-west of Brotton in Skinningrove, in the first wave of ironstone sinkings that changed the parish: the Victoria County History records several mines opened in Brotton between 1861 and 1871, and five at work by 1874, the Cliff and Huntcliff among them.

Its output for 1880 was 58,332 tons. Ten years later Bulmer's directory recorded that the ironstone here was worked out, and the returns of ironstone in 1865, 1873 and 1882 end with the mine abandoned in 1887. Bell Brothers had already opened Huntcliffe adjacent in 1871 and Carlin How in 1873, and began Lumpsey in 1882 as this one finished.

Geology

The Cleveland Ironstone Formation where it comes out near the coast between Saltburn and Skinningrove — the seam the whole district was opened for between 1861 and 1871.

Workings

Worked from 1860 and out by the late 1880s. Bulmer's description of the district in 1890 treats Cliff as the parent of the group: the same firm's Huntcliffe was opened adjacent in 1871 and worked by an adit drift with the stone won by hand.

Closure

Bulmer's recorded the ironstone here as worked out by 1890, and the Durham Mining Museum notes the mine abandoned in 1887.

What remains

Nothing is recorded of the mine site as it now stands.

None recorded.

Related mines

• Carlin How Mine — One of Bell Brothers' four east Cleveland ironstone mines, described together in Bulmer's directory of 1890 as a single undertaking spread along the coast: Cliff from 1860, Huntcliffe from 1871, Carlin How from 1873 and Lumpsey from the early 1880s, all passing to Dorman, Long and Company in April 1923.
• Huntcliffe Mine — Huntcliffe was opened adjacent to the Cliff mines in 1871 and took over from them as their ironstone was worked out; Bulmer's describes the two in the same breath.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• The BGS mine-plans catalogue holds a Mining Remediation Authority abandonment plan titled 'Cliff' (catalogue OM2082, Ironstone Cleveland, dated 1887); the catalogue gives no location and the plan's details do not clearly tie it to this working, so it may belong to another of the same name. (uncertain) ⁴

Recorded claims

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

• The Cliff Mines were commenced by Bell Bros., Ltd., in 1860. The output for 1880 was 58,332 tons, but the ironstone here is now worked out. ¹
• The Durham Mining Museum returns ironstone from Cliffe in 1865, 1873 and 1882 under Bell Brothers Ltd, holds a catalogue of abandonment plans for it, and notes the mine as abandoned in 1887. ²
• The Victoria County History records that several ironstone mines were opened in Brotton parish between 1861 and 1871, and that in 1874 five were at work: Brotton mines north-west of the village, Kilton mines further south, the Cliff and Huntcliff mines near the coast in Skinningrove, and the Craggs Hall mines south-west of Skinningrove. ³
• The BGS mine-plans catalogue holds a Mining Remediation Authority abandonment plan titled 'Cliff' (catalogue OM2082, Ironstone Cleveland, dated 1887); the catalogue gives no location and the plan's details do not clearly tie it to this working, so it may belong to another of the same name. (uncertain) ⁴

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (primary) Bulmer's History and Directory of North Yorkshire (1890), Brotton parish — Bulmer's Directory, transcribed by GENUKI
2. (primary) Cliffe (Ironstone) — Durham Mining Museum
3. (secondary) The wapentake of Langbaurgh (east): Brotton — Victoria County History, via British History Online
4. (primary) BGS / Mining Remediation Authority mine plans: CLIFF — British Geological Survey / Mining Remediation Authority

Record created: 11 September 2026 · Last researched: 11 September 2026