Day 35
Brickworks and bromide
We woke to a warm but windy day. Technically a day off the bikes, we rode the few miles to the coast. A friend, BJ Julie had mentioned, that Julia Bradbury had walked the 135 mile coastal walk and how stunning it looked. The section we walked was awesome. We had left the bikes in Bull Bay, it was an easy climb to the cliff path. Dramatic cliffs, deep gorges, stunning coves. Then a magnificent bay, with what looked like an abandoned mine works on the far side. Two tall chimneys reminded Tom and I of Warren Moor, the last remaining complete ironstone mine chimney in the world. We made our way there, the site was huge, all open to explore. It turns out that it was actually a brickworks, that made fire bricks to line iron furnaces. Was it possible that the bricks used in Rosedale Kilns had come from this very spot? Tom had spent the last five years managing a project, The Land of Iron, to preserve the remains of the ironstone industry in and around Rosedale.
Tom spent a while photographing the site, I was fascinated by the setting, especially the Durdle-Door arch just begging to be swum through! Wasn’t brave enough though.
We retraced our steps and cycled back through quite roads, past the remains of more recently closed industrial buildings, a huge bromide plant. A stunning spot but life must be hard.
We ended the day with a glass or two of wine, enjoying the quiet sunny camp site, all for a tenner a night, thanks Len!
