2018

NZ7419 : Loftus Alum Quarries

taken 6 years ago, near to Easington, Redcar And Cleveland, England

This is 1 of 3 images, with title Loftus Alum Quarries in this square
Loftus Alum Quarries
Loftus Alum Quarries
The last remains of one of last ruins of the Loftus Alum Quarries. Soon this will go the way of other buildings and tumble the 300 foot into the North Sea. All that will be left is a sterile moonscape, mostly devoid of vegetation.

Just along the coast is the alum quarries of Boulby, together almost two miles of excavation 200 feet deep. A phenomenal amount of material removed. It took the best part of a hundred tons to produce one ton of alum crystals. Alum was an important chemical used in the fixing of dyes and in the tanning industry. It was a cure all for almost all types of illnesses and ailments. The process was complex, and full of intrigue and secrecy, involving eggs and urine. There was a Papal monopoly in the chemical until Henry VIII fell out with the Pope. Then the race was on to find a home source. Lingberry quarry, as it was known at the time, operated for about two centuries opening in the mid 1650s. Later the quarry took the name of the village of Lofthouse which was shortened to the present Loftus in late Victorian times.

The history is without doubt fascinating. The area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest on account of the fossils found in the shales, particularly ammonites. But, although heather and a few shrubs have found a footing higher up below the sandstone cap, the barren shale wasteland is just another fine example of the way man has and is still desecrating the planet.

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Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Mat Fascione and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Geographical Context: Coastal Quarrying, Mining Rocks, Scree, Cliffs Former: Quarry Primary Subject: Quarry other tags: Cliffs Click a tag, to view other nearby images.
This photo is linked from: Automatic Clusters: · Loftus Alum Quarries [7] Title Clusters: · Loftus Alum Quarries [3] ·
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
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Grid Square
NZ7419, 36 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Mat Fascione   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Thursday, 9 August, 2018   (more nearby)
Submitted
Sunday, 17 March, 2019
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! NZ 743 198 [100m precision]
WGS84: 54:34.1161N 0:51.1108W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! NZ 743 198
View Direction
West-northwest (about 292 degrees)
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Image Type (about): geograph 
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