|
|
|
SitesGeneral Partners
|
The Alum Industry
Alum was Britain’s first chemical industry beginning in the early 1600s. Alum shales were quarried and processed at Guisbourgh, Loftus and Boulby in East Cleveland for over 200 years. The processing of alum from shale is often considered the earliest chemical industry in the British Isles. Alum shales were quarried and processed at Guisbourgh, Loftus and Boulby in East Cleveland from the early 1600s onwards. The Alum industry in North Yorkshire began in the first decade of the 17 th century. Despite the scale of the industry it was rarely profitable and mines had frequent gaps in operation. Only three mines in Redcar and Cleveland continued in use into the 19 th century. These were at Guisborough, Hummersea and Boulby. These mines became uncompetitive in the 1860s when faced with competition from works in Lancashire, Humberside and Scotland and the last Cleveland Alum mine closed in 1871. The remains of the alum works have left a dramatic impact on our countryside. The coastal quarries at Boulby and Hummersea have an almost unworldly feel; standing on the red shale heaps you almost feel you could be on another planet. Boulby is the best preserved site and surviving remains include the steeping pits and part of the alum house. The site has been designated by the Secretary of State as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. |
|
|
|
||
