ICI Anydrite mine, Billingham. There were 2 shafts in place, one for the men and one for the product.
Photograph and details courtesy of David Dawson
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
ICI Anydrite mine, Billingham. There were 2 shafts in place, one for the men and one for the product.
Photograph and details courtesy of David Dawson
This brings back memories. Years and years ago I worked in various offices in ICI and one day, along with others, was taken on a visit down the mine. I remember being amazed at the sheer size of it and the fact that we were transported around it in a bus!
Barbara, at least you went down in the cage, my first run down was on top of the cage tied by a harness to the haulage rope. I was an Estimator at the time and was told to report to the East area workshop on a Sunday morning to estimate a job. Frank Canney was the Boilermaker Plater and he was standing there with two sets of climbing harness, I in my suit did not like the look of that and less so when we walked to the mine head carrying said harness. Frank negotiated with the drum driver and clearance agreed. The cage was then dropped for us to clamber on top and we tied ourselves off to the rope. Down we went as I had discovered we were inspecting the shaft steel work, two corners on the way down two corners on the way up. A drop of around 800 feet with only our helmet lights, it was a very quick inspection and up again.
I would climb the highest stacks in ICI without problem, the depth of the earth was not my comfort zone yet made many trips down the mine getting to know some of the small dark cross passages with no light when you stepped through the pressure door you were in total blackness something that never failed to raise goose bumps.
It was a fantastic place, the bus ride to the faces never failed to amaze people, the sudden clash of huge pressure doors on the dual carriageway as trucks full of product raced by, the massive cavern at the foot of the Lift Shaft we called the Cathedral which had stores workshops and offices a busy place.
The second shaft or stone shaft went even deeper to the crusher cellar where the stone was pre-crushed before being lifted to the surface. I never did get used to being down there and my suit went in the bin, grease from the haulage rope did not wash off.