Report - Islip Mines & Quarries

[Rustynail]

Islip ironstone quarries and mines supplied ironstone to furnaces in the Kettering area and were begun around 1869 by the Islip Iron Ore Co. and later taken over by Stewarts & Lloyds Ltd. A narrow gauge railway connected various different mines and quarries around Slipton. As far as I know this paricular on ceased production in July 1915.

Vistited today with a couple of mates who lurk on here. The mine lays on private land some way off the nearest road and the access involved a bit of a comedy moment as we scurried for cover from a seemingly non existent game keeper's motor and then a tight squeeze into a backfilled adit. Eventually we got underground and spent over 2 hours exploring the mine but probably seeing only 25% of it. We got lost and it did become a bit worrying when we realised we'd been going in circles for a while. Never have I been so glad to see daylight again!

Some plants that were growing in a complete absence of light.

Ancient sweary graffitti that appears to have been painted with soot using a lamp or candle.

 

[ultravox]

I remember having a wonder around this with DHL (R.I.P) in April 2010. I wonder if it's still accessible?

 

[Down and beyond]

No mate sadly this mine has been sealed I live
Locally after dhl passed away YouTube people got inside the mine and Drayton estate have brought the quarry face down onto the addits now no traces left

 

[Lord Oort]

Yep, sadly this one has been lost to bellends. Nothing to see here.

 

[ultravox]

Thanks for the info thought it might be worth a revisit. Shame everything gets ruined by the idiots out there. I thought, considering how careful you had to be getting past the game keeper it would still be accessible.

 

[Urbex with Archie]

I've been looking into the mines in the area and have come across multiple names of different mines. I've come across Finedon which is separate and I believe I know where that is although idk if this is the same as Irthlingborough Ironstone Mine? There's Crops Acre and Willow Close which combined into using the latter named adit and I believe I know where that is although from what has been said above, it appears this may be worthless as these adits have been sealed? Is there possible access via the older adit into the same network? I have also come across the Church Mines (Church North and Church South) - I am unsure of where these are although it has been mentioned across various threads that Harper's Brook helped expose the iron vein that was surface-worked from "Marshes Pit" which was Northeast from Islip Furnaces and was worked from 1896 primarily for Ganister, however the Church North adit was driven to reach the iron ore below the surface and Church South (/Church Pit) was simultaneously (although the date workings commenced is unknown) driven towards the North mine. Eventually, grilles were put across the North adit and ore left via the South adit. Marshes Pit was filled with truckloads of soil, creating a ramp to the North and South adits, suggesting they were situated above the surface pit mine (Marshes Pit). This mine ceased activities on 22nd August 1947. It was recorded that around 1969 that a local history group visited the site and stated that the South adit in particular had been back-filled with household rubbish and both adits were just visible but apparently today the site is on a livestock field and very minimal trace is visible - am not sure of the location of the Church Mine. I was initially unsure whether it is just an alternative name for one of the other mines listed above but appears to be separate. I have also read of other mines such as Woodfield, Woodford and Lower Sheep's Pen Close, Islip as well as Glebe and Thingdon mines. Would appreciate if anyone has any clarify on this as I'm trying to work out how many mines there are/were and where they all are/were 😊

 

[Down and beyond]

I've been looking into the mines in the area and have come across multiple names of different mines. I've come across Finedon which is separate and I believe I know where that is although idk if this is the same as Irthlingborough Ironstone Mine? There's Crops Acre and Willow Close which combined into using the latter named adit and I believe I know where that is although from what has been said above, it appears this may be worthless as these adits have been sealed? Is there possible access via the older adit into the same network? I have also come across the Church Mines (Church North and Church South) - I am unsure of where these are although it has been mentioned across various threads that Harper's Brook helped expose the iron vein that was surface-worked from "Marshes Pit" which was Northeast from Islip Furnaces and was worked from 1896 primarily for Ganister, however the Church North adit was driven to reach the iron ore below the surface and Church South (/Church Pit) was simultaneously (although the date workings commenced is unknown) driven towards the North mine. Eventually, grilles were put across the North adit and ore left via the South adit. Marshes Pit was filled with truckloads of soil, creating a ramp to the North and South adits, suggesting they were situated above the surface pit mine (Marshes Pit). This mine ceased activities on 22nd August 1947. It was recorded that around 1969 that a local history group visited the site and stated that the South adit in particular had been back-filled with household rubbish and both adits were just visible but apparently today the site is on a livestock field and very minimal trace is visible - am not sure of the location of the Church Mine. I was initially unsure whether it is just an alternative name for one of the other mines listed above but appears to be separate. I have also read of other mines such as Woodfield, Woodford and Lower Sheep's Pen Close, Islip as well as Glebe and Thingdon mines. Would appreciate if anyone has any clarify on this as I'm trying to work out how many mines there are/were and where they all are/were 😊

It sounds like you have read some pages and not understood what you have read ? For a name urbex that includes research ? Not going to archive much like this .

Surprise surprise most have been landscaped over church is now under a landfill site which got done in 1960 , it’s now a horse field .

Irthlinfborough is in irthlingborough , under pine trees housing estate , does have a drain .

Willowclose & crops arche was open 10 years ago , then they pulled the quarry face over them can’t tell where they was , would be looking for a needle in a hay stack

The others are surface workings you have been mistaken .

Thingdon was open around 5 years ago though , they sealed this over with a digger , you could get in around 250m then it changes from waist deep to neck deep water in awful air with 12% o2

Iron mines are death traps.

 

[Urbex with Archie]

It sounds like you have read some pages and not understood what you have read ? For a name urbex that includes research ? Not going to archive much like this .

Surprise surprise most have been landscaped over church is now under a landfill site which got done in 1960 , it’s now a horse field .

Irthlinfborough is in irthlingborough , under pine trees housing estate , does have a drain .

Willowclose & crops arche was open 10 years ago , then they pulled the quarry face over them can’t tell where they was , would be looking for a needle in a hay stack

The others are surface workings you have been mistaken .

Thingdon was open around 5 years ago though , they sealed this over with a digger , you could get in around 250m then it changes from waist deep to neck deep water in awful air with 12% o2

Iron mines are death traps.

I read up on all the articles I could find but none provided me with a location, only rough hints at where each may be - I am saddened to hear that they are pretty much all but gone...
I had heard a lot about these mines being very oxygen depleted but doubled up with neck-deep water - that doesn't sound pleasant 😬
So by the sounds of it, all of these mines are now effectively sealed? When you said about the drain in the Irthlingborough one - do you mean an adit that you could access through or too small?
Thank you, I appreciate the info 👍

 

[Down and beyond]

Yes that’s correct .

They are at present all landscaped over again .

the ones that was explored and documented on here , these had low o2 and only got wellie deep water . They have long since been covered over all together .

The Irthlingborough site has a 5 x 4”
Pipes out of it .

The rest you listed are quarries , after reports came online years ago the estate sealed them all.

Bedford has some cool railway tunnels, also down towards m1

 

[Urbex with Archie]

Yes that’s correct .

They are at present all landscaped over again .

the ones that was explored and documented on here , these had low o2 and only got wellie deep water . They have long since been covered over all together .

The Irthlingborough site has a 5 x 4”
Pipes out of it .

The rest you listed are quarries , after reports came online years ago the estate sealed them all.

Bedford has some cool railway tunnels, also down towards m1

Ahh I see - it's a real shame that they've done it although I can kinda understand why 😕
I wanna try to find any more mines around the Northants area but I can imagine with alla the iron ones sealed over, the closest place to look would be Derbyshire 🤷

 

[Down and beyond]

There are no more mines in Northamptonshire . They got filled in with landfill sites .

Your best of to head to Leicester is the closest for coal , or Cotswold for stone mines

 

[Urbex with Archie]

There are no more mines in Northamptonshire . They got filled in with landfill sites .

Your best of to head to Leicester is the closest for coal , or Cotswold for stone mines

Thank you - tis a shame though 😕
Yh the coal interests me more - definitely more interested in mines, where an ore or commodity such as coal is obtained as I find it fascinating to see the different techniques used to get at the seam/vein/loade. Thank you again for the clarification 😊