The 100-Fathom Descent: Dual Extraction at Moor Row’s Premier Pit

The Montreal Pit No. 10 at Moor Row was a vital component of the Montreal Mine complex, an enterprise so vast it was famously known as the "Great Moor." Owned by the industrialist John Stirling, Pit No. 10 was a feat of Victorian engineering that defied the standard geological rules of the West Cumbrian "Iron Fever" era. It was the deepest of the Moor Row pits. 

As the mining operations moved south and east from the original 1840s outcrop, the shafts had to go deeper to follow the dipping ore bodies.

• ​Location: The shaft was situated at National Grid Reference NY 006 142, positioned south of the village near what is now the fringe of agricultural land.
• Depth: While the average depth for the earlier Montreal shafts was approximately 145 metres, Pit No. 10 was significantly deeper, reaching depths between 190 and 210 metres (approx. 620–690 feet).
• Strata: It primarily worked the Fourth and Fifth Limestones, targeting massive "flats" (horizontal ore deposits) that could be several metres thick.

The industrial significance of Moor Row, particularly regarding the Montreal Mine complex and its famous Pit Number 10, is fundamentally rooted in a geological configuration of extraordinary rarity. The West Cumbrian iron ore field, extending approximately 16 kilometres from Lamplugh in the north to Calder Bridge in the south, is characterised by its restriction to the Carboniferous Limestone. This region, situated between the Lake District National Park and the West Cumbrian coalfield, underwent complex mineralisation processes that resulted in the deposition of high-grade haematite, an oxide of iron prized for its purity and low phosphorus content.

The stratigraphy of the Moor Row and Bigrigg area is defined by a sequence of seven limestones, with the most significant ore bodies typically located in the second limestone. These deposits often manifest as "flats" - horizontal, tabular masses - or as steeply dipping veins. In the second limestone, the ore has been recorded at thicknesses of three to four metres, providing a substantial target for 19th-century extraction. 

The mineralisation itself is theorised to have occurred as haematite-bearing solutions migrated from offshore beds of St Bees Sandstone in the Irish Sea or from the Eskdale Granite, utilising a network of faults as primary conduits.

Within this broader context, the Montreal Fault represents the defining structural feature of the Moor Row district. This fault, and the associated "Coal Faults" trending generally West-South-West to East-North-East, created a unique juxtaposition of strata. The Montreal Fault effectively brought the younger Coal Measures into direct contact with the older Carboniferous Limestones. This tectonic anomaly provided the "all-sufficient explanation" for the presence of coal and iron ore in immediate proximity, a condition that the Montreal Mine, and specifically Pit 10, was engineered to exploit.

Mineralogical Characteristics and Stratigraphic Sequence

The haematite encountered at the Montreal site varied significantly in quality and form, influencing both the method of extraction and the eventual industrial application. The highest quality ore was characterised as compact, massive, and hard, with a distinct purple or blue-grey metallic lustre. Conversely, lower-quality deposits were often soft and clayey, notorious for staining any surface they contacted.

Geological Unit	Local Characteristics in Moor Row/Bigrigg	Primary Minerals
1st Limestone	Often acts as a capping layer; Namurian age.	Quartz, Calcite.
2nd Limestone	Primary host for the 3-4m thick ore bodies at Montreal.	High-grade Haematite.
3rd - 6th Limestones	Intervening strata with sporadic mineralisation.	Haematite, Dolomite, Siderite.
7th Limestone	Deepest of the Carboniferous sequence in the area.	Haematite, Quartz.
Coal Measures	Juxtaposed against Limestones via the Montreal Fault.	Bannock Band, Main Band Coal.
Gangue Minerals	Waste materials found alongside the ore.	Quartz (5-15%), Barite, Fluorite.

Secondary minerals found within the "vugs" or air spaces of the limestone included spectacular crystalline forms such as specularite, which appeared as black, shiny, blade-like crystals. The presence of manganese minerals, including manganite, was also noted in the nearby Bigrigg area, leading to exploratory mining during the 1870s boom period.

The Rise of John Stirling and the Development of Montreal Mine

The development of the Montreal Mine is inseparable from the biography and business acumen of John Stirling (1820-1907). Born in Ayrshire, Scotland, Stirling was the son of the Right Reverend John Stirling, a Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which instilled in him a strong religious and ethical framework that would later define his paternalistic management style. Stirling’s professional trajectory began not in mining, but in the textile and banking sectors of Scotland and Northern England.

Stirling's entry into the West Cumbrian industrial landscape occurred in 1837, when he joined his brother-in-law, Thomas Ainsworth, at the Cleator Linen Thread Mills. These mills, originally established by the Birley family in 1800, had fallen into financial distress by 1830. Under the partnership of Ainsworth and Stirling, the mills were revitalised, becoming the largest flax spinning enterprise in England and employing over 300 people by 1847. This early success provided the capital and organisational experience necessary for Stirling to pivot toward the burgeoning heavy industries of iron and coal.

In 1841, Stirling and Ainsworth joined a consortium of local iron ore owners to establish the Cleator Moor Iron Ore Works, which began operations in 1847. However, Stirling’s most significant independent venture began in 1858 with exploratory borings at Todholes, near Cleator. Despite initial setbacks that nearly led him to abandon the project, he discovered a magnificent deposit of haematite just a few feet from the surface. This success paved the way for the 1862 opening of the Montreal Mine in Moor Row, which would become the flagship of his industrial portfolio.

The Technical Paradigm of Pit Number 10

The Montreal Mine complex eventually consisted of ten distinct pits, with Pit Number 10 serving as a critical node in the dual-extraction system. The technical specifications of these pits involved sinkings ranging from ten to one hundred fathoms (approximately 18 to 183 metres). The unique hallmark of the Montreal operation was the ability to draw both coal and iron ore through the same shaft, a feat of engineering made possible by the "Montreal Fault".

Pit Metric	Technical Specification / Value
Primary Shaft	Pit Number 10 (Dual extraction)
Shaft Depth Range	10 to 100 Fathoms
Peak Output Rate	3,000 Tons per Week
Peak Decade Production	2,300,000 Tons (1870-1880)
Maximum Annual Output	250,000 Tons
Resource Type 1	Haematite (Iron Ore)
Resource Type 2	Bituminous Coal

Engineering Solutions for Water Management: The Big Ship Culvert

One of the most formidable obstacles to the continued operation of the Montreal Mine was the River Keekle. Flowing to the west of Cleator Moor, the river posed a constant threat of inundation to the subterranean workings, particularly as they expanded toward the fault zones. The porous nature of the limestone, combined with the structural weaknesses introduced by faulting, meant that any significant surface water body could lead to catastrophic flooding if not properly managed.

Stirlings Big Ship Culvert Illustration

The Role of the Whitehaven Shipbuilding Company

The construction of the Big Ship was awarded to the Whitehaven Shipbuilding Company, a choice that reflected the crossover of maritime and civil engineering techniques in the Victorian era. The culvert was constructed using metal box work - a technique typically reserved for the hulls of iron ships - which provided the necessary structural integrity to withstand the weight of the river and the potential stresses of ground movement caused by mining subsidence.

Engineering Component	Detail / Specification
Project Name	The Big Ship
Year Commenced	1878
Total Length	528 Yards
Constructing Firm	Whitehaven Shipbuilding Company
Primary Materials	Metal box work, Concrete
Primary Objective	Flood mitigation for Montreal Mine
Current Access Point	Crossfield Road, Cleator Moor

Social Impact and the Paternalism of John Stirling

The socio-economic landscape of Moor Row and Cleator Moor was fundamentally reshaped by the operations of the Montreal Mine. The sudden demand for labour during the iron boom of 1860-1880 led to massive immigration, transforming small rural outposts into dense, multi-ethnic mining communities. At its height, the mining industry in the Moor Row and Bigrigg area employed between 1,000 and 1,200 men.

Healthcare and Education: The Stirling Infirmary

One of Stirling's most enduring contributions to the community was the establishment of the Stirling Infirmary. Mining was a perilous occupation, particularly in the hard-rock haematite mines where explosives were frequently used and mechanical failures were common. Records from the infirmary, covering the period between 1867 and 1912, provide a poignant look at the human cost of the industry.

The Cornish Migration and Cultural Identity

A significant portion of the workforce at Moor Row consisted of migrant miners from Cornwall. As the Cornish tin and copper mines began to decline in the mid-19th century, thousands of skilled hard-rock miners moved to West Cumbria to apply their expertise to the haematite deposits.

Cultural Aspect	Influence / manifestation in Moor Row
Street Names	Penzance Street, Truro Place.
Religious Affiliation	Primitive Methodism, construction of chapels.
Workforce Skills	Technical expertise in shaft sinking.
Demographic Reach	Cornish surnames remain common in the area today.

Economic Prosperity and the Bessemer Catalyst

The invention of the Bessemer process in the 1850s revolutionised the steel industry. As the first process to produce high-quality steel economically and at scale, it required iron ore with extremely low phosphorus content. Cumbrian haematite was one of the few global sources that met this specific requirement.

Economic Era	Key Driver / Impact on Montreal Mine
Pre-1850	Charcoal smelting; Limited production, small-scale local use.
1860 - 1880	Bessemer Steel Process; Peak production, massive labour influx.
1870 - 1880	Maximum Market Dominance; 2.3 million tons produced in one decade.
Post-1890	Basic Steelmaking (Open Hearth); Long slow decline as low-grade ores became viable.
1918	Depletion of Coal Measures; Cessation of coal mining at Montreal Pit.
1980	Total Mine Closures; Final abandonment of regional deep mining.

The Environmental and Physical Legacy: Subsidence and "Camber-Ground"

Feature / Term	Definition / Significance
Cumber-ground	Land rendered worthless due to mining subsidence.
Vug	An air space in the rock allowing for crystal formation.
Cankered Water	Acidic, iron-polluted mine water.
Box Work	The metal lining used in the Back Ship culvert.
Skid Row	Local name for Springfield Terrace, Bigrigg.

The Montreal Mine in the Broader Regional Research Context

Mine / Pit	Research Findings
Gutterby Mine	Documented raising of ore as early as 1834; deepened by the Lindow family.
Sir John Walsh	One of the few relatively large mines in the marginal Moor Row district.
Montreal Pit 10	Unique for dual extraction; centre of the Stirling empire.
Peel Pits	Representative of small enterprises working haematite near the surface.
Whinney Hill	Sunk in 1839; found 9-foot thick coal at 114 fathoms.

The Integrated Legacy of Pit Number 10

The research into Moor Row Montreal Pit Number 10 reveals a site of unprecedented industrial complexity. Its geological uniqueness - the Montreal Fault - enabled a technical paradigm of dual extraction that was unparalleled in the United Kingdom. The engineering solutions implemented there, such as the 528-yard metal-and-concrete "Big Ship" culvert, demonstrate a level of sophistication and investment that matches the importance of the Cumbrian haematite to the global Bessemer steel boom.

The Montreal Mine was not merely a hole in the ground; it was a socio-technical system that integrated geology, engineering, economics, and human migration into a single, cohesive narrative of Victorian progress. As the last remains of the Big Ship and the subsidence hollows of Pit 10 suggest, the "iron in the soul" of the district is more than a poetic metaphor - it is the foundational truth of Moor Row's history.

Working The Ore Illustration