Mrs Tarboat and myself took a holiday in Whitby and she seemed quite enthusiastic when I suggested a visit to Port Mulgrave. I think she expected a nice fishing village with cream teas and souvenirs. What she got was a stagger down a steep cliff path and a look at a derelict harbour and ironstone mine. 
Originally known as Rosedale Wyke, ironstone was first worked he around 1855 and shipped out to Jarrow from a wooden jetty. By 1859 a stone harbour had been constructed at a cost of c£50,000 and this was named Port Mulgrave. Stone was shipped from here to the Tyne by 400 ton motorised barges and returning coal ships. Shafts were sunk to seams below sea level and a quarry was worked in the cliffs. Eventually a tunnel was driven into the cliff and a mine opened out.
Eventually in 1875 the Grinkle Mine was opened further inland and the tunnel entrance was extended through to this new mine. It appears that the Port Mulgrave Mine ceased production in 1881 but stone continued to be brought through the tunnel for shipping until 1917 when Grinkle was connected to the main line railway because of the threat of submarines to coastal shipping. In 1934 the loading machinery was dismantled (some of it caught fire) and the harbour was blown up in World War II to prevent invasion use.
Today there is a fine selection of ramshackle fishing huts, a few boats, broken down harbour structures and the tunnel entrance. Inside the mine tunnel was well worth the effort of getting in but the roof conditions a short way in did not encourage me to go too far. Outside there were no cream teas and no souvenirs but an interesting hour spent looking at the remains.
A reconstruction copied from a rather weathered panel on the clifftop.The gantries were quite extensive.
Looking down on the harbour during the descent.
Tunnel entrance in the cliff.
Just inside the tunnel entrance.
Bad roof conditions ahead.
Looking back to the tunnel from the jetty remains.
Originally known as Rosedale Wyke, ironstone was first worked he around 1855 and shipped out to Jarrow from a wooden jetty. By 1859 a stone harbour had been constructed at a cost of c£50,000 and this was named Port Mulgrave. Stone was shipped from here to the Tyne by 400 ton motorised barges and returning coal ships. Shafts were sunk to seams below sea level and a quarry was worked in the cliffs. Eventually a tunnel was driven into the cliff and a mine opened out.
Eventually in 1875 the Grinkle Mine was opened further inland and the tunnel entrance was extended through to this new mine. It appears that the Port Mulgrave Mine ceased production in 1881 but stone continued to be brought through the tunnel for shipping until 1917 when Grinkle was connected to the main line railway because of the threat of submarines to coastal shipping. In 1934 the loading machinery was dismantled (some of it caught fire) and the harbour was blown up in World War II to prevent invasion use.
Today there is a fine selection of ramshackle fishing huts, a few boats, broken down harbour structures and the tunnel entrance. Inside the mine tunnel was well worth the effort of getting in but the roof conditions a short way in did not encourage me to go too far. Outside there were no cream teas and no souvenirs but an interesting hour spent looking at the remains.
A reconstruction copied from a rather weathered panel on the clifftop.The gantries were quite extensive.
Looking down on the harbour during the descent.
Tunnel entrance in the cliff.
Just inside the tunnel entrance.
Bad roof conditions ahead.
Looking back to the tunnel from the jetty remains.
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