Loftus Alum Works

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Loftus Alum works began operation in the 1650’s and ran until the 1860’s and cover roughly half a mile on a quarried shelf below the cliff. Alum is a mordant for fixing dyes to cloths.

Loftus Alum Quarry Loftus Alum Quarry

The quarrying process has left large sandstone cliffs at the back of the quarries

Loftus Alum Quarry Loftus Alum Quarry

The quarries themselves are still barren with little vegetation ever having returned to the slopes.

Loftus Alum Quarry Loftus Alum Quarry

Loftus Alum Quarry Loftus Alum Quarry

After quarrying the alum shale was burned for many months in large mounds called clamps, a process called calcining. Areas of burned red shale can be seen on the site, although its possible these are from natural fires at a later date rather than clamps.
Loftus Alum Quarry

There are the remains of several steeping pits, where the burnt alum shale would then have placed in water to dissolve the alum salts, these are rapidly nearing the cliff edge and will erode away in a few years time.
Loftus Alum Quarry Loftus Alum Quarry

Carved stone troughs can also be found which would have transported liquids around the site.

Loftus Alum Quarry

The alum liquor would have been transferred into a tank or cistern to allow any particles to settle out, a double walled circular cistern can be still be seen protruding from the edge of the cliff.

Loftus Alum Quarry

The settled liquor would then have been transferred to the Alum House where it was concentrated by evaporation until a specific concentration was reached, said to be the point where an egg would float in it. Akali (usually kelp or urine) was then added and the alum crystals formed as the liquid cooled.

Tunnels and Weir in Hancocks Wood, Loftus

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Perhaps one of reasons this website ever came to exist, as a small child I came here many times and always wanted to find out what was down the tunnels.

Hancocks Wood Tunnels Loftus

So I finally took the opportunity to don my wellies and head torch and have a look, pictures aren’t fantastic as I only had a pocket camera with me.

The largest tunnel is perhaps 25m long and turns underneath the railway embankment before emerging on the other side.
Hancocks Wood Tunnels Loftus    Hancocks Wood Tunnels Loftus
A second short tunnel leads into someone private garden, looks like they have a personal waterfall.
Hancocks Wood Tunnels Loftus

Nearby the main track also leads under the railway embankment, the bridge is surprisingly large suggesting this route used to be a lot more important than it is now.

Hancocks Wood Loftus

I’m not sure why the weir exists, old maps seem to suggest it probably only arrived with the railway, and I can find no evidence of there ever being a building on the site, although the place always gave the impression to be there had been something here.
Hancocks Wood Loftus Hancocks Wood Loftus Weir

There a photo of the same area in the 1960s here

Street House Archaeological Dig

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Stephen Sherlock has been investigating this area for many year, the Street House long cairn was excavated in 1979–1981.

The current excavation started in 2004 has turned up Iron Age, Roman and Anglo Saxon finds, theres a detailed explanation of the site in the May/June issue of British Archaelogy.

The open day on 7th September 2008 was technically cancelled due to weather conditions, but Stephen was kind enough to show those who still came around the remains of a Roman building that has just been uncovered.

Street House Archaeological Dig Street House Archaeological Dig

 UPDATE : The excavations lead to the discovery of the grave of a Saxon Princess, gold artifacts from which can now be seen at Kirkleatham museum