Site Description
Grid Reference: NZ 715 201 to 745 202
BGS Sheet: 34
OS Sheet: 94
Forwarded as RIGS: 30/09/2003
Site Status: Heritage Coast (RC4, other references Nos. 51 and 82). Open access.
Description of Geodiversity: Superb sea cliffs and rocky foreshore (scar) with extensive Lias Group exposures. Much geomorphological and industrial archaeological interest. The Cleveland Way passes along the cliff top. The coastal scenery is impressive.
Members of the RIGS Group and others on an outing near Hummersea steps, showing Hummersea Cliff extending westward toward Skinningrove. Huntcliff is shown in the background. The group are standing on an area of slam, a by-product of the alum-making process.
Geology
With shallow dips, the Jurassic strata that can be examined directly in situ are limited to beds near to the top of the Redcar Mudstone Formation. Higher beds in the cliff faces can be viewed and examined as fallen blocks.
- Cleveland Ironstone and Staithes Sandstone Formations: These form the main cliff faces. The ironstone seams of the Cleveland Ironstone Formation can be examined directly as a result of the landslip at the Old Gut (other reference no. 80).
- Redcar Mudstone Formation: This forms the base of the cliffs and the scar. It is part of the Ironstone Shale, the uppermost, informal sub-unit, and consists principally of sandy, silty shale with conspicuous ironstone and calcareous beds and nodule bands (some remarkably like cannon balls).
Image of the so-called Cannon-ball Doggers of the Redcar Mudstone Formation between Skinningrove and Hummersea steps. Nodules are c.5cm in diameter.
Geomorphology: Apart from the marine and sub-aerial erosion of the cliffs there are a number of interesting features particularly the U-shaped, till-infilled embayment at Hummersea and the landslip at the Old Gut. Hummersea Beach has a marvelous variety of glacially-derived pebbles to examine.
Historical geology: No specific comments.
Industrial Archaeology:
- The cliffs form the seawards edge of Main Seam (Cleveland Ironstone Formation) underground workings of Loftus Ironstone Mine.
- With regard to the alum industry, the remains of the Loftus alum house and landing place (dock) are at the New Gut (NZ 726 200) and an earlier dock (and possibly the site of an alum house) at the Old Gut (NZ 734 202).
Access
Access map of the area around Hummersea showing the Cleveland Way and suggested parking in Skinningrove.
(Click on map to enlage)
Access can be gained:
- From the east side of Skinningrove Beck mouth along the cliff foot, or
- By the path and ladder down to Hummersea Beach and the New Gut from the Cleveland Way.
General Assessment
This coast is an excellent place for the study of Lower Jurassic geology, geomorphology and industrial archaeology for all age groups.
Associated Sites
Boulby Alum Quarries (SSSI, other reference no. 54);
Loftus Alum Quarries (SSSI, other reference no. 53);
Boulby and Cowbar Nab Cliffs ((RC5, other reference no. 80);
Old Gut Landslip (other reference no. 82).
The view east showing the cliffs and foreshore toward Loftus Alum Quarry from the top of Hummersea steps.
Safety Information
WARNING: If going along the scar it is imperative to be aware of the tide times and the sea conditions. The scar is likely to be wet and slippery and there is danger of falling rock from the unstable cliffs. A boulder field makes going east beyond the Old Gut difficult and further easterly progress should be avoided.
BE AWARE: Hummersea steps may occasionally be in a state of disrepair, we suggest you ensure that the state of the steps is known prior to setting off on any walk along the scar. There is no other way up the cliff between Skinningrove and Staithes posing the danger of being cut off by the tide if the steps are impassable.
Disclaimer: Tees Valley RIGS Group cannot be responsible for the safety of anyone visiting this coastal site. The accompanying map was accurate when this trail was devised in 2011, but these cliffs are prone to landslip through natural processes and paths may be lost.
A NOTE ON FOSSILS
Please feel free to collect loose fossil specimens weathered from their places of original deposition. However, to enable future scientific study, and for the enjoyment of others who may follow in your footsteps, in situ fossils (i.e. those still embedded in their position of original deposition) should not be collected, but their positions noted and details passed on to TVRIGS, a local museum or other similar body.
Please follow the Countryside Code. Do not light fires. Take any litter home.
Supplementary Information
Geology
Structure: The sketch cross-section illustrates the geology. The dip is 1-in-16 to the south at Hummersea Point but gradually lessens and changes direction to the SSW eastwards. A minor fault about 75m east of Hummersea Point trends N-S and throws a few cm to the east. However, in the mine workings to the south the throw is recorded as 4m. Another small fault occurs at the Old Gut.
Section through Hummersea Point and Warsett Hill demonstrating dip of beds to the south at c.1-in-16.
Whitby Mudstone Formation (marine, in part anoxic): The Hard and Mulgrave Shale Members are present high up in the cliffs east of Hummersea steps. Fallen blocks, mainly of calcareous and sideritic nodules, can be examined on the scar.
Cleveland Ironstone Formation (shallow marine, even shoaled, oxidic, ironstone formed under slow sedimentation): The various ironstone seams can be seen high in the cliff face at Hummersea Point and, again, beyond Hummersea Beach above the Old Gut. The seams can be examined directly where they are preserved intact as if in-situ and nearly vertically disposed as a result of the landslip at the Old Gut. The section here was measured by Barrow (1888, page 19).
Staithes Sandstone Formation (shallow marine, with tidal influences and storm surges): Again, the beds can be seen in the cliff face and examined by means of fallen blocks.
Redcar Mudstone Formation (marine): The base of the Oyster Bed, seen in the cliff face, marks the arbitrarily defined top of the Ironstone Shale (the upper subunit of this Formation) although the sequence is transitional. Around 20m of the Ironstone Shale are exposed on the scar. Tate and Blake (1876, pages 94-96) give their measured section but this is difficult to interpret. The section includes ~12m of the Staithes Sandstone Formation (including the Starfish beds) and only ~5m of the Redcar Mudstone Formation, said to be down to the cliff base. Hence, it must have been measured somewhere where the cliff was accessible. It includes a substantial fossil list. So far as is known, there is no modern lithic log, the nearest being at Staithes.
View looking west from the Cleveland Way above Skinningrove showing beach defences, the jetty, Huntcliff and Warsett Hill in the background.
Geomorphology: Skinningrove Beck has cut a deep channel through the till into the bedrock. Eastwards for about 1km, passing Hummersea Point, sub-vertical cliffs 50 to 70m high are capped by some till. There are two deep ravines, structurally controlled by small faults and major joints, with intensive sub-aerial erosion.
Hummersea Beach is currently a superb pebble beach with a wide variety of petrological types derived from the till (or may be some ship’s ballast) and including Shap Granite. However, local residents say that it was once sandy and there are photos showing this. To the south there is a curious U-shaped, 0.5km-wide embayment in the cliff line with bedrock at c.15m, much till infill and recent landslips. The origin of this and the similar feature at Port Mulgrave is unclear. They may be the result of:
- Pre-glacial scarp retreat (with landslipping)
- Glaciation, or
- Interglacial marine erosion.
Beyond Hummersea Beach there is a return to high cliffs, now without glacial cover. These continue eastwards below Loftus and Boulby Alum Quarries. There are some substantial landslips and rock falls including the remarkable slip at the Old Gut.
Historical geology: No specific comments.
Industrial History and Archaeology
Alum: The history and industrial archaeology of the alum works has received much attention in recent years and, in particular, there is the major survey by English Heritage (Hunt et al. 2004) as well as descriptions by Buglass (2002) and Miller (2002).
The alum works was started in the mid-17th century and closed in about 1860. There was a major redevelopment about 1800 when a new alum house was constructed by Hummersea beach with a dock at the New Gut. The dock was previously at the Old Gut and the earlier alum house was probably close by, either at the cliff top or at beach level. There are indications of a track down to the beach at this point.
The outstanding remaining feature at Hummersea Beach by the modern steps is the stone-built ‘kiln’, believed to have been used for calcining cementstone nodules. Other remains, particularly the brick-lined ‘flues’ to the east have been eroded rapidly in recent years (comparison can be made with photos in Buglass (ibid) and Miller (ibid). The back, in-situ rock wall of the excavation made for them has now come in to view.
The New Gut is bordered on both sides by ‘rafts of mixed beach pebble and alum waste (slam). The Ordnance Survey shows several postholes but these may be difficult to find.
View of the alum works remains in the cliff-side near Hummersea steps.
The Old Gut has the remains of a stone built jetty alongside part of which actually consists of the in situ landslip material including the Main Seam. There are post holes and, as recorded by Owen (1986) and Buglass (ibid), signs of a short tramway. Owen recorded another tramway 300m to the east (NZ 737 202).
Beyond, to the east, there is a third dock with postholes (NZ 7461 2015) that is difficult to reach (Buglass (ibid), page 137, site 7 and Hunt et al., 2004, page 49).
Ironstone: The Main Seam of the Cleveland Ironstone Formation has been worked extensively as part of Loftus Ironstone Mine, the surface works of which are now the Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum at Skinningrove (at NZ 712 193), the first major underground ironstone mine to be developed in North Cleveland. Mining started in 1848, two years before Eston but 12 years after the mines at Grosmont. The seam typically consisted of a Bottom Block (1.2m) and Top Block (1.5m) separated by a dogger or shale parting up to 0.2 m (but thicknesses varied across the reserve). Tuffs (1996) gives a brief and Chapman (1998) a detailed description.
The workings, daylighting in the cliff face, can be seen clearly from the scar, especially at the Old Gut.
There was some earlier ironstone working involving the collection of material from the beaches.
Rutways and Tramways: Owen (1986) identified a number of rutways especially in the vicinity of Hummersea Point (see also Buglass ibid. Site 3, page 135). Owen also recorded the tramways at and beyond the Old Gut.
Members of the RIGS Group examine a rutway (shown by arrows) between Skinningrove and Hummersea steps.
Literature References
Maps
Geological Survey Yorkshire Sheet IX SW, scale 6 inches to 1 mile, 1878 (Ordnance Survey 1856).
As well as the geology, this shows the landing places (docks) at the Old and New Guts, an outline plan of the alum house at the New Gut and some other buildings close to the beach.
Excursion Guides
Goldring, D. 2010. Guided Walk to Loftus Alum Works 11th July, 2009. CIAS Newsletter No. 98, March 2010, 9-14.
Goldring, D. 2001. Along the Scar. Peter Tuffs, Guisborough, 145p. See pages 53-58.
Geology & Geomorphology
Agar, R. 1960. Post-glacial Erosion of the North Yorkshire Coast from the Tees Estuary to Ravenscar. Proc. Yorks. Geol. Soc., 32, 409-428.
A valuable study of coastal erosion but subject to much, perhaps mistaken, criticism by Hemingway and others.
Appleton, A. 2010. The Ice Age and its Aftermath in Eastern Yorkshire: One possible interpretation of the evidence. Unpublished review, 33p. (in Whitby Lit. and Phil. Library).
An important contribution collating many views on the ice age and including data on marine erosion.
Barrow, G. 1888. The Geology of North Cleveland. Mem. Geol. Survey, H.M.S.O., London, 101p.
Pages. 9 and 12 show the Redcar Mudstone and Staithes Sandstone Formation sequences. The Main Seam ironstone section at the Old Gut is on page 19.
Fox-Strangways, C. 1892. The Jurassic Rocks of Britain Mem. Geol. Survey, H.M.S.O., London, 551p.
Similar to Barrow, 1888.
Hemingway, J. E. 1982. Chapter 1 in Prehistoric and Roman archaeology of north-east Yorkshire ed. D.A. Spratt. BAR British Series 104, 7-31.
A useful account of the eminent professor’s views on glaciation, cliff erosion, etc.
Tate, R. and Blake, J. F. 1876. The Yorkshire Lias. John Van Voorst, London, 475p.
Pages 89-101, especially pages 94-96 with a measured section at Hummersea.
Industrial History & Archaeology
Alum
Buglass, J. 2002. A survey of coastal transport in the alum industry with reference to Hole Wyke and New Gut Docks. Chapter 8 and Appendix 4 in ed. I. Miller, ‘Steeped in History. The alum industry of North-East Yorkshire’. NorthYorks Moors National Park Authority. 89-106, 135-138.
Report on survey made in 2000 with pictures enabling one to assess the extent of erosion of manmade and landslipped material at Hummersea beach.
Hunt, A. et al. 2004. Loftus Alum Works, Redcar and Cleveland, Cleveland. An archaeological and historical survey. English Heritage, 67pp.
A major survey including the foreshore features.
Jecock, M. 2009. A Fading Memory: The North Yorkshire coastal alum industry in the light of recent analytical field survey by English Heritage. Industrial Archaeology Review, 31, 54-73.
General review of the alum industry.
Miller, I. 2002. The Manufacture of Alum: The Collated Evidence. Chapter 9 in ed. I. Miller, Steeped in History. The alum industry of North-East Yorkshire. NorthYorks Moors National Park Authority. 107-120.
A review that includes several references and photos of Hummersea going back to 1993.
Owen, J. S. 1986. Rutways before railways on the Yorkshire coast, with details of twelve sites between Saltburn and Scarborough. CIA No. 18, 23-32.
John Owen’s main record of rutways, etc.
Owen, J. S. (compiled by CIAS editorial board). 1998. Rutways and some other coastal features. (In Cleveland Ironstone (memorial volume)) 75-79. CIAS & NYMNP Authority, 103p
A compilation of John Owen’s finds.
Ironstone
Chapman, S. 1998. The Loftus Mines, Skinningrove. Peter Tuffs Publications, 100pp.
A detailed account of Loftus Mines.
Tuffs, P. 1996. Catalogue of Cleveland Ironstone Mines. Peter Tuffs, Guisborough, 56p.
General details of the mines.
Mini Geo-trail
Click here to go to the Mini Geo-Trail » (Soon to be available as a PDF).
Surveyors
Denis Goldring 2011
Please Note: Tees Valley RIGS Group cannot be held responsible for the content of external sites.
©2011 Tees Valley RIGS Group.
