Abandonded Mine (Drone Footage)

This Drone Footage Video captures the last deep working iron ore mine in Europe, now disused and abandoned. The Florence Mine is in Egremont, The Lake District.

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Florence Mine was the last deep working iron ore mine in Europe. It was known in earlier times that West Cumbria was rich in iron ore but it was not until the 1830s that this valuable mineral was mined here on a significant scale. It is understood that the surface working of iron ore was carried out by early Britons and Romans in the West Cumbrian area. Evidence of locally mined ore is thought to exist in an iron casting found in Roman excavations at Maryport, and it is known that a Roman iron smelting process was carried out near Drigg, the ore probably coming from the Eskdale Valley. In addition it is known that smelting was carried out during the Middle Ages on the shores of Ennerdale and Wastwater, using ore which is still present today in those remote crags. The mines south of Egremont had their beginnings in the latter years of the last century when the Ullcoats Mining Company was formed. The first shaft was sunk by 1900 and 464 tons of ore was mined in that year. The company sank a further five before the last and deepest was sunk in 1913. This was the first circular shaft in the West Cumbria ore field. On the 9th January 1914, the wife of the Chairman of the Millom and Askham Company, Mrs Muir Ritchie, cut through the turf and Florence Mine was born. The Florence Mine proved to be productive, but deep in the early 1930s. By the 1940s Florence was beginning to be worked out and it became clear that it would be necessary to sink a second shaft, which could access the valuable high grade ore which had been left in position to support the original shaft. Florence No. 2 was begun in 1945 and was fully operational by 1951. The new Florence shaft was connected to the Ullcoats workings in the 1950s, meeting it 175 feet below the surface. Cheaper ore had been coming into the country from Spain, and the Second World War gave added impetus to the industry and the iron and steel trade made its considerable contribution to the war effort. By 1960, as Europe recovered, a number of countries, in addition to Spain, were exporting iron ore into the UK. Gradually the local furnaces were closed as well as the mines, only the Florence and Ullcoats complex survived until, as a result of nationalisation , they were closed on 'Black Friday', September 13th 1968. In 1969 the lease of the Florence and Ullcoats mines was taken over by Beckermet mines, part of the British Steel Corporation. Again, a drift was driven through to connect them together in April 1970. This single mine then stretched from Calderbridge to the Uldale valley, a distance of almost five miles. As part of rationalisation process, the British Steel Corporation closed the mine on October 3rd, 1980. In the early days iron had been mainly used for agricultural implements and for weapons, but as steel production developed, the demand for iron ore expanded enormously. As the demand for local ore diminished with the advent of the new technologies, the production of high grade ore continued, especially for surgical steel, rails and special uses. Once the shafts had been sunk, a grid of level passages was cut in the ore and between this grid pattern of connecting levels, pillars were left to hold up the roof. When the mine had been established in this way, 'robbery' began, first slicing the walls of the pillars altogether. This removal started at the outer limits of the highest workings, moving inwards towards the shaft, collapsing ground behind them or, where the roof was strong, leaving large, unsupported caverns. This was repeated continuously. Evidence of the mine is now rapidly fading and in some cases there is no longer any sign of their existence. Nevertheless, the effects of the final 'robbing' stage could result in subsidence and town like Cleator Moor have suffered badly over the years. one of the ongoing problems which had to be coped with was the mines' natural tendency to flood. Pumps had to be left running continuously and all abandoned mines, including Florence, are now flooded.

Read more here: http://www.florenceartscentre.com/florence-mine/

Equipment Used: DJI Phantom 3 Advanced
Editing Software: Final Cut Pro X
Music: 'Heartless' by T2
Assess Link: https://www.looperman.com/tracks/detail/186388

Location: Florence Mine, Egremont, Cumbria CA22 2NR

Enjoy! :)

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