Former West Cumbrian hematite iron mine, last deep iron ore mine in Europe, with Grade II listed pithead complex now occupied by Florence Arts Centre.
Florence Iron Mine, located on the outskirts of Egremont in west Cumbria, was the last deep iron ore mine in Europe at the time of its final closure. Shaft sinking for the original No. 1 shaft commenced in 1913 and the first ore was raised in 1923 from what proved to be the largest ore body found in West Cumberland. The mine was operated by the Millom and Askam Hematite Company, later linked underground to Ullcoats Mine and then to Beckermet Mine.
The sinking of No. 2 shaft started in 1940 and working was transferred to this new pithead in 1947. British Steel Corporation closed the mine on 3 October 1980, but redundant miners, using their redundancy payments, reopened it as the Egremont Mining Company and operated it on a small scale until 2006–07, with British Nuclear Fuels Ltd paying pumping costs in exchange for the water. The mine finally flooded and closed when this arrangement ended in 2007.
The No. 2 pithead complex, which opened in 1947, is listed at Grade II (list entry 1449212) as one of the best surviving iron mining sites nationally. The buildings are now used by Florence Arts Centre.
Florence Iron Mine, Egremont, exploited a body of hematite iron ore within Carboniferous limestone in west Cumbria. Shaft sinking for the original No. 1 shaft commenced in 1913. The mine was operated by the Millom and Askam Hematite Company, who also took over Ullcoats Mine in 1917 and operated the two mines together from that date. The first ore was raised from No. 1 shaft in 1923 from what proved to be the largest ore body found in West Cumberland. The mine was linked underground by tunnels to the neighbouring Ullcoats Mine and drew workers from across the county. The iron ore pigment, a deep red colour derived from the hematite, was used in the manufacture of paints, dyes, and cosmetics.
The mine first closed on 13 September 1968. The newly nationalised British Steel Corporation acquired the mine in 1969, pumped out the water from the flooded tunnels, and restarted ore extraction. Florence was then worked in conjunction with Beckermet Mine from 1969 following nationalisation, with ore drawn up Beckermet shaft for the steelworks at Workington.
The sinking of No. 2 shaft started in 1940 by the Millom and Askam Hematite Company; the shaft was sunk approximately 200 metres north of the original No. 1 shaft. Working was transferred to the new No. 2 pithead in 1947 to allow the extraction of ore around the original shaft. Florence was interconnected underground with the neighbouring Ullcoats Mine in the 1950s. The No. 2 pithead complex opened in 1947 includes a steel girder headframe rising from the heapstead building, an immediately adjacent winding engine house, an ore processing plant connected by belt conveyors, a fan house, a compressor house, and a larger workshop. The heapstead is of three storeys, steel-framed with brick infill panels and a flat concrete roof. During its working lifetime the mine produced approximately 20 million tonnes of ore and was not worked out at the time of its final closure.
British Steel Corporation closed the mine on 3 October 1980 as part of a rationalisation process. A number of redundant workers invested their redundancy payments to purchase the property and reopen it as the Egremont Mining Company. In a deal with British Nuclear Fuels Ltd, which operated the nearby Sellafield nuclear plant, BNFL pumped the water out for use in its cooling systems and the miners continued to provide the paint, dye, and cosmetics industry with pigment, albeit on a much smaller scale than before. The West Cumbria Mines Research Group opened a Heritage Centre at the site in 1992, run by volunteers, who also provided underground tours. Small-scale production of hematite from a shallow orebody accessed from No. 2 shaft was maintained until early 2007. Florence Mine finally closed in 2007 when British Nuclear Fuels Ltd ceased to need cooling water from the mine and stopped paying the pumping costs, resulting in flooding. At that time Florence Mine was described as the last working iron ore mine in Europe.
The No. 2 pithead complex, which opened in 1947, is listed at Grade II on the National Heritage List for England (list entry 1449212). It is described in the listing as one of the best surviving mining sites of any type nationally and certainly the best surviving example of an iron mining pithead in the country, with all buildings largely complete and retaining most of their machinery and equipment in situ. The name Florence is said to derive from the wife of the chairman of the Millom Haematite Ore and Iron Company Limited. The mine is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The buildings are now occupied by Florence Arts Centre, which opened in 2011 and uses the former miners' shower block and other structures for exhibitions, live music, theatre, gallery, workshops, and a café. The Florence Paintmakers cooperative continues to produce handmade watercolours, oil paints, and pastels from the remaining surface hematite ore, including the signature Egremont Red pigment.