Sandsend Mine - Sandsend - May 2011

Absolutely stunning pics mate !! Well done !!

Excellent stuff Horus, I really like Sandsend, and will have to check this place out when I visit next.

This is one of the many Alum workings that run up this coastline from Sandsend. Forty odd years ago there was much more evidence along this stretch of this activity and you could descend much further into this particular working - young, foolhardy and agile, which are words no longer used to describe me. Unfortunately at this stage of my life all available funds went on transport and gear for climbing and caving, a good camera was not in the kit. An old mate did record our outings and I will contact him to see what photographs he can turn up.

A very nice record of the place, the images took me back on a nice walk done memory lane - Thanks for that!

Dirus_Strictus said:

This is one of the many Alum workings that run up this coastline from Sandsend.

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Its a cementstone working, used to supply the mill at East Row.

What ever it was it looked a good place to explore.

Blakethwaite said:

Its a cementstone working, used to supply the mill at East Row.

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Are you saying this is the Gaytress cementstone working? As I said it was over forty years ago when I last did any serious exploration in this area and the scenery has drastically changed, but in the immediate area that is now commonly referred to as 'Sandsend Ironstone Mine', Alum, Cementstone, Ironstone and Jet have been quarried and mined over the centuries. In fact many of the mineral seams that these mine workings follow, were revealed during the opening up of the alum quarries in the first place.

For those interested in this location the following link has some fairly recent photographs.

http://www.mine-explorer.co.uk/mines/Sandsend_1088/Sandsend.asp

Yes they are cementstone workings. There wasn't an ironstone mine of note in that area, the closest would be at Raithwaite and Kettleness.
The cement nodules were originally found amongst the shales during alum quarying however once quarrying ceased it was necessary to drive adits to get to the nodules.

oooooooo great pics H

This area is on my "to do" list....