Kilton Mine

Overview

Kilton Mine, sunk south of Kilton Thorpe at a cost of several sinkers' lives, worked ironstone for the Teesside furnaces from 1875 until 1963, becoming one of the last of the Cleveland ironstone mines to close.

History

Kilton Mine was sunk from 1873 just south of the village of Kilton Thorpe in North Yorkshire, its two shafts reaching 700 feet in depth, a task that cost several sinkers' lives and took three years to complete. A private railway serving the mine opened in 1873, becoming the property of the North Eastern Railway the following year. The mine passed through several owners -- the Kilton Ironstone Co. in the 1880s, Walker, Maynard & Co. in the 1890s, Bell Brothers Ltd in the 1920s, and Dorman, Long & Co. Ltd from April 1923 -- and worked the Cleveland Main seam, supplying ironstone to the furnaces of Teesside. Output and employment fluctuated considerably over its working life, from a peak of 424 employed underground and at the surface in 1910 to as few as two men recorded during a period of closure in the mid-1930s. The mine underwent several periods of closure and reopening, closing for the last time on 2 February 1963, by which point it was one of the last working ironstone mines in the district.

Geology

Ironstone of the Cleveland field, worked south of Kilton Thorpe for the Teesside furnaces.

Geological setting: Sedimentary Ironstones (historical documentary reference)

Workings

Worked the Cleveland Main ironstone seam via two shafts 700 feet deep, sunk from 1873; the underground haulage used a main-and-tail rope system, ventilated by a Sirocco fan and pumped by two six-stage turbine pumps.

Closure

Closed for the last time on 2 February 1963 after several earlier closures and reopenings, by which point it was one of the last Cleveland ironstone mines at work.

What remains

A conical shale heap remains on site as a local landmark, but has become unsafe through land slips, and the site's owners restrict public access.

A conical shale heap survives as a local landmark.

Disasters & major incidents

• Kilton Mine Kibble Accident, 1873
  23 December 1873 · Winding / Shaft Accident · 2 fatalities
  Two sinkers were killed at Kilton Mine when the kibble carrying them up a sinking shaft struck a bunton and capsized after a shot-firing operation, precipitating them to the bottom just as one of the charges exploded.

Recorded claims

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

• The mine's two shafts, sunk from 1873, reached 700 feet in depth; underground haulage used a main-and-tail rope system, ventilation was provided by a 98-inch Sirocco fan, and pumping by two six-stage turbine pumps each rated at 1,000 gallons per minute. ¹
• Employment peaked at 424 persons (314 below ground, 110 above) in 1910, falling as low as two men recorded during a period of closure in 1935; the mine changed ownership several times, passing to the Kilton Ironstone Co. in the 1880s, Walker Maynard & Co. in the 1890s, Bell Brothers Ltd in the 1920s and Dorman, Long & Co. Ltd from April 1923. ¹
• The mine closed for the last time on 2 February 1963, by which point it was one of the last working ironstone mines in the Cleveland district. ²
• Surviving structures include the engine house for an electric winder (c. 1916, later used for paintball activities), a 1951 workshop for maintaining underground electric locomotives (with tracks still visible in its floor), a brick structure marking the upcast shaft, and a building associated with an electricity substation; a capped shaft, reportedly 694 feet deep, also remains visible. ³

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (primary) Kilton (Ironstone) — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Kilton Thorpe — Wikipedia
3. (observational) Kilton Ironstone Mine (site report) — Derelict Places (urban exploration forum)

Record created: 2 September 2026 · Last researched: 2 September 2026