I liked that as it gave name to those places I played in as a kid.
Sad though about the Teeside steel industry finally being put to the sword.

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Hello Craig,

DVD received, watched and enjoyed. I first saw your film in Thirsk a couple of years ago so it was really an aid memoir to that. I have had a passion for the man made underground world and the social history of the people and their families that created it. My Father was a Gypsum Miner in the South of England in the early 50s.
He worked a 12 hour day for 6 days a week, often 7, for an £8 wage ! He was badly injured in a rock fall and unable to go underground again. The local council were very sympathetic and kicked us out of the house that belonged to them but was reserved for miners. I am a cave and mine leader and have taken many groups of people into
places that they never dreamed existed under their feet. Some of them have gone on to take up the hobby. I'm 60 this year and now live near Thirsk. I am currently reading up on the Iron Stone mines and visiting surface workings. I was having what I call a 'scratch around' at Port Mulgrave a few days ago. I am determined to get a couple of my caving mates up from the south and get in to a couple of them. My Wife is not keen at all ! She has literally dragged me out of holes by my ankles up on the moors near Grassington. When she thought we were just out for a nice walk! The next planned trip is this month. The notorious Croesor-Rosith through trip! (There’s quite a good write up on it on the internet) I've
extensively explored the mines individually but only recently lost enough 'marbles' to take it on. Anyhow: Just thought I'd drop you a line. I'm really pleased that you took the project on in the first place. It's a fitting memorial to the poor sods that worked their hearts out and often gave their lives to line the pockets of the bastards that exploited their poverty and desperation.

Best regards,

Edwin Renahan.

P.S. You may have guessed by now that I'm an old fashioned socialist. Can't relate to this bloody shower at all !

it was great and helped alot with mt homework

AT HOME I HAVE GOT 53 PICTURES OF ESTON MINES AND MORE COMING.
I KNOW CRAIG HORNBY AS A FRIEND.

I GO UP THE ESTON HILLS EVERYDAY (LIFE GOES ON AND ON)

SIGN: M.DAVISON

My ancestor John Taylor worked in the mines around 1885 until 1905 Netebele Annie Betsy Anne Taylor his Daughters would of gone to the local school,john and his wife Clara Atkin moved from Eston to Mansfield around 1905 and John went on to be a coal miner in Mansfield.John was from Stainton Yorks and Clara was from Conningby Lincolnshire Darren Oldfield

HI watched this film,my great great grandfather was an iron stone miner in Eston.He lived on Vickers road,his wife was Clara Atkin Taylor ther daughter was Metebele Annie Taylor,my great grandmother they moved from Eston to Mansfield Notts around 1905,What happened around this time for my ancestors to leave Eston behind.Would love to know more about my ancestors photos would be fantastic Darren Oldfield

Thanks Craig for formatting your documentary for Canadian viewing. And thank you so much for telling the life and times of the people of Eston and California. It's brilliant. They were heroes, all of them, and unsung heroes at that. Until now.

I grew in Normanby and wandered the Eston Hills scores of times, having absolutely no idea of what happened there in earlier times. We never heard a word about this in school. Shockingly sad to neglect our own history and the enormous sacrifices so very many people, our forefathers made. I've been home lots of times since moving to Canada, driving through the the whole region and all over the Yorkshire Moors, and never once seeing a marker, or any reference, to what the area meant to the world. Makes me sad to think that noone seems to care.

Just in the last two years I discovered that my great Grandfather Walter Bareham walked 230 miles from Toppersfield in Essex to Middlesbrough, looking for work. Until I saw your film yesterday I could not imagine why anyone would do that. Well now I know, and it makes me very proud. His sons and their sons all went on to work in the industry, and generations of the family lived (and still live) in the area. One even went to South Africa in the 1930's for five years to build a bridge, no doubt from Eston iron-ore milled into steel at Dorman Long, where many men in the family worked.

I think your film should be shown in all the schools in England as part of British history. It's a compeloling story that deserves to be told.

The DVD arrived this morning. Being of Pickering origin, I was well aware of
the Rosedale mines but but did not have much knowledge of the mines north of
the Esk valley, a work colleague from Redcar lent me a copy of your DVD, and
I found it really interesting as I can now understand the connections
between the cottages and industrial structures that are dotted around the
Northern hills. It was cetainly a rare treat to see a well made local film
about local people, I always thought that the Teeside iron industry was big
but hadn't realised just how big, and the interviews with the old miners
were particularly poignant. The new copy is for my Dad, who is an 80 year
old railway man and I am sure he will be able to identify with the
charachters from mining era.
Its a great pity about the Redcar furnace, you will now have to amend your film to include the final demise......

I grew up in Normanby with my sister Joan, my brother Bill, my parents Nell and Bill Hayes. We emigrated to Canada. We spent our lives roaming the Eston Hills, up to the Nab, picking bilberries and enjoying the pure clear air. I have been back home many times since, because I love the place and also we still have relatives in Normanby and Northallerton and Scarborough. I won't get to see the DVD unfortunately, although I would love to. I would buy it if I could, but the formatting is different in Canada, so it wouldn't play here. Such a shame. I notice there are local historical societies in Normanby and Eston but no names or email addresses given for contact. Next time I'm home maybe one of my cousins will have it in the house, or I will look around for it. Cheers. Bettie Hayes Wasslen

When this first came out it was on Video and later onto DVD.
My partner bought the DVD as a birthday present at the time I was working in Qatar andI took it back with me. When I played it I was absolutely amazed at the research that had gone into it. As I was so intrigued I played every single section, and I was amazes even further. Whilst promoting the programme in Cleveland centre who walked onto the set my partner and her daughter. I just could not beleive it. When I returned to the boro I had the DVD signed and it is with my collection of Middlesbrough memrobillia. This DVD is well worth the money and with the closing of the steel plants at Redcar, it is even more of a collector item.

I saw the trailers on the YouTube and would love to see the film. My sister lives with her family in old mining country (Allerton Bywater) and myself, I am working with documentaries on stage and in writing about the closing down of Volvo and SAAB in Sweden (as happened with textile industry and ship building - that turned out to give space for design and innovation)...

So it is exciting to see how this project brings to life the voices and memories of the old miners.

...Strange how regional marketeers can so misunderstand the values of a region. Trying to cover up the past instead of cherishing it - I believe it's a mistake even from a strict perspective of tourism and market value!

So congrats to fine project!

Cheers
Jonas

i,ve lived in eston as a child and went to california junior school , i first went up the hills withmy dad aged 8 and visited new bank drift and was mesmerised at the entrance wondering where it went to etc !
after all these years to see that there was another secret drift ! does anyone know whereabouts it is please ? as i,ll have to go and have a look ! many thanks

Absolutely brilliant film I bought a copy for my dad for Christmas and we watched it yesterday, I work in Eston and found it all very interesting. Should send a copy to everyone who wants to shut Corus down perhaps it would get them thinking? perhaps not.......

teesside cleveland not tees vally no such place i come from teesside laing street born and bred. its an insult. mr hornby should be given the recognition he deserves

My wife's grandparents are Mr & Mrs Cole who owned the sweet shop from Pit Top village - would love to obtain a copy of the photograph of them. Will be ordering copy of film - looks fascinating! Ian Trainor

great film

A truly wonderful film, I found it very moving and the amazing thing is... there is hardly any evidence of all the work that was involved in removing 350 million tons of ironstone from this area.
Highly recommended viewing and well worth the £10.00 (+ p & P ).
Good luck with all the other projects.

August bank Holiday Monday 2009 - Just back from a walk un the hills to see the site of the old Upsall Pit. My Great Great Grandparents were living there when they married in 1878 (on Christmas Day) in Guisborough Parish Church. They were still living there when my Great Grandfather was born in 1881. Really must watch "A Century in Stone" again.....

Video most enjoyable, informative and helpful in adding depth of knowledge to the life of my Gt.uncle WILLIAM LEWELL when researching my family history. William went up to Eston from Norfolk c.1862 - 1891 - worked as a plate-layer - lived in Jubilee Road Eston - grandmother EDITH TAYLOR went to work as his housekeeper c.1910 - her 2 children went to local school(s)until about 1922 - one daughter (Dorothy) reached her 100th birthday this year. Would welcome any info. relating to area or families including LEWELL's, WHEATLEY's, EASTO's.
Having now purchased the DVD I look forward to sending it to my 100yr. old aunt. I'm sure it will bring back so many memories!
Celia

alright cuz hows it going just been messing about on pc ,im on nightshift see we r dead busy ha.6 shifts to go just thought id put your name up on internet see if you have been arrested again aka ronnie biggs.never mind the b******s u ok then our mams goin to scotland with auntie pauline and uncle terry and john eh should be a good break 4 them probably be rainin though.like it always was at cayton bay,remember might see u in the tiger 4 a pint one day im home next week mad john lil will probably be out .take it easy your perfect cousin jimmy jimmy.bru up the boro

great to see the history of the eston hills and industrial teeside on film, the high point for us was seeing my wifes great grandparents on the film, ( the coles who owned the shop at pit top, barnaby moor).
im gonna buy a copy for my dad for christmas, he worked at dorman long and teesport until he retired some 10 years ago, i hope he will enjoy i as much as we did!
the young of today need to be informed of their local history, im hoping this film is being shown in the schools around eston and normanby!

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A trip down memory lane with much more information than i had ever obtained whilst attending school in Middlesbrough.
My father was a Dorman Long man for most of his life,and my brother a draughtsman with the bridge design department.
As i travel to Sydney on a regular basis I find time to ponder when i look at the "Coat Hanger" and think of it as part of the halcyon days of my family and our roots.

The documentary is informative and thorough, with excellent use of photos and maps to bring this lost history back to life. Teesside's industrial heritage is evident in the archives and the many bridges and other buildings made from its steel. Pick ten of the best known bridges in the UK and see what they were made from! What I didn't know was the richness of the social history and your film is also outstanding in this respect.

I was in Cornwall last month with its 500+ years of hard rock mining, celebrated by a few heritage sites. In a similar way to Teesside, the history is in the accounts of older people and street names with few physical remains of the mine sites.

One of the best documentaries I have seen, you have captured the history of the area. This should be taught in schools and colleges. The structure and style of the film should also be a model for would be historical film makers.

i went on a walk with craig hornby from school on friday it was the best thing i done at school yet.it was realy intresting.

Hi Craig I have just finished watching your DVD, and I just wanted to say I thought it was amazing! This is the history we should have been taught in school, instead of all the Captain Cook stuff we were forcefed in the 70s. This is such a wonderful testimony to the hard slog of our ancestors, and I feel at last I have seen something telling my own story. My grandparents and great-grandparents all worked in the blast furnaces and ancillary works at the beginning of the last century (and all died from the same type of emphysema in later years). Yesterday I stood alongside about 200 Corus workers from Teesside on the National March for Jobs in Birmingham. How ironic it all seems, seeing the great wealth created for the few all those years ago in Eston and California.

Keep up the good work!

My sis in law from Hartlepool brought the DVD to Aus with her on a recent visit. My husband is Cyril Lund whose mother Sarah Lund was a contibutor. Their grandparents who had the shop at Barnaby Moor are on the DVD . Cyril was born on Barnaby Moor. The content brough many a gasp from both Cyril and his sister Lnda , who knew many of the participants and locations. They were surprised by many of the facts that you had presented as well.It is an amazing documentary and the wonderful thing is that is my husbands history !!

We had a tour, with Craig, on Saturday 21st March, around Eston Hills what a great day! Craig
is so knowledgeable about our local area and local history, the human stories. We would say it is a not to be missed event.
Thankyou.

Good luck with the campaign. I would have attended the demo if I had known about it - my particular concern is with the Central Gardens lake area.

Absolutely outstanding!..cannot say anymore really!

Dear Craig
i have just visited the web site again and saw the hike photos from last year i di feel those hills calling me back to the roots of my birth i was born in Mansfied road Eston went to South Eston junior school then to eston county modern school up flats lane As a child i played on the hills and had an aunt in Imerson Street
but craig after watching the dvd again i was going through some boxes and found a family book i had forgoton about and wondered if you had heard of it the name is THE STORY OF ESTON written by Maurice Wilson written in 1972published by him it starts from talking about ESTON it mentions the parish of perpetual curacy of Saint HELENS old registersof the parish as far back as 1590to it mentions ironstone miners pit top TO 1964

A splendid production. A piece of British industrial history as important as Ironbridge, coal, the Potteries and cotton mills;all of which have been portrayed over the years as documenteries on the BBC. Did you offer it to them?

For me, this story also had a very personal aspect. Those wonderful interviews with the last of the miners and their distinctive accents transported me back many years to rich conversations I had as a lad with my grandfather,(in his 90s) who emgrated with his young family in the 1890s from Eston to the anthracite coal fields in NE Pennsylvania.
Thanks for sharing this history.

I just found your site by accident, looking for images of Eston.. I've just started researching my father's family history. My grandfather, David Blackburn (b.1861) worked in the mines there, and emigrated to Pennsylvania in the late 1990s. He had several brothers and sisters. I wonder if there are any descendants left in the area.

Great film which draws the humanity back into history. It answers many questions, and raises new, interesting ones. Craig, you've created a love letter to an unacknowledged region and its too-often forgotten people. Informative, enjoyable, engaging and humane. Thankyou for showing that documentaries can combine heart and history in equal measure. Great stuff.

Hi Craig,
I admire your work with the greatest respect for many reasons. Your talent excels itself to the max.....you can tell it is driven by the true devotion of this place that you obviously love.
I first watched Century In Stone when it was released on video/DVD...it is a truley amazing film. As the area is local to me, you instantly have a connection...especially when you can relate to the places in question. More so by the way you have very cleverly merged images as it was in the past...to the present day views...very impressive.
The way you have put together this very indepth local History is brilliant...I never realised just how much wealth was in the area in the past...then we look at it now. To think it was only recently we were fighting to keep Courus open, gives me a very gut feeling. As I watched this film you really felt for these people who had this horrendous way of life.
I recently began my family tree & I found that my Great Grandfather was a Deputy in the Ironstone mines. I had been trying many websites to find out more about what he would have done...then my brain kicked in, I viewed my Century In Stone once again....now with an even stronger connection knowing that my decendants were just like the ones you have portraied. I was moved even deeper & found it even more emotional. You have pieced a bit of my jigsaw with more detail than I would have ever expected....for that I am trulely greatful THANKYOU :-)
Although I am devastated that I have missed the mega hikes, I am so looking forward to take part in one of them next year. It is great to find from this guestbook you are doing exactly what I was hoping for...a book !! GREAT can't wait for it to be published !!
Keep up the fantastic work Craig there are folk from this generation who really does appreciate what you have done :-)

Thanks ever so much
Susan Chester

Craig, thanks for a very informative tour on 13th September.

You explained a forgotten but very important history of Teesside.

keep up the good work, and keep chasing the funding to help bring the Ironstone history to the public, and also to help restore what little is left.

thanks

Leigh

Wow Awesome.

I just want to let you know that I (and my family) found A Century in Stone to be fascinating. A real eye-opener. I was born in Middlesbrough and most of my relatives still live there but my knowledge of the time _barely_ scratched the surface of what actually happened and I can't believe that Middlesbrough is such a young city. I'm so glad you made this film.

Thank You Very Much
Have a Good One
Dave

Hi Craig

Just to say thabks for the guided walk on Saturday. I know Eston Hills well but I saw and leaned alot of new things on Saturday.

Cheers

Peter.

Thanks for the guided tour of the Eston hills and the wonderful commentary. When are you going to bring out the 18 hour long "directors cut" of ACIS, the DVD is too short!!!
Hurry up with the book too :o) I've put it on santa's list.

now craig, the power hike was top drawer i would defo go again best fiver ive ever spent i would have happily paid more but fair play to you for giving your time for such great value. like you say what has mallonbrough done for the folks of eston little or nothing, its about time he did! ill keep knocking on doors regarding the restoration work surely one will open or be pryed open sooner or later, and if no joy im gona do the petition maybe we could organise something on your web page to get people in each area who check out the site to sign up to gather signatures from their respected areas? im sure every door answered would get one signature at least! what youve done is great and gives hope to the little man who doesnt belive he can achieve his goals you have showed with hard work it can be done. if you ever need a hand with any future projects i would be more than willing to lend a hand or two! ill keep in touch craig top man, all the best chief micky.

now then craig im a big fan of your work i am thinking is there any chance of some sort of restoration of the ss castle i dont think it would cost much surely bit or concrete re bar and some shuttering it is possible. i think its a discrase that its in that state of repair people have no respect for the past if the mines wernt there then neither would a lot of us a town made up of people from allover the country if they only knew. anyway keep up the good work cheif a man after me own heart all the best micky.

Craig,

I drove up from Stoke to be with you on your walk of 9th August. MARVELLOUS !!!

My own attempts at finding some of the remnants of the mines which my grandfather and great grandfather had worked in had mainly failed due to the many years that had passed since I last saw them. You managed to roll back the years for me and for that I will be eternally in your debt. I bought the DVD online as you suggested and was knocked out by its superior picture quality when compared to the VHS version.

Good luck with your future walks and projects and I look forward to your book.

PS the grid reference of the powder house is NZ 56070 18037 according to my GPS , just in case it gets any more overgrown.

Regards Eric

Craig,

Many thanks for having such an intense in-depth interest/knowledge in the local mining past and such a strong desire to make 'A Century in Stone' almost against the odds, to recognise the hard graft of the miners who's toil made a few landowners/iron masters very rich....but left the miners themselves financially very poor.
However your film demonstrated their 'great wealth' to us all in other ways. It will stand the test of time and be a 'reference documentary' for years to come. It would be great if you could get all those interviews of those miners, sadly no longer with us, and those of their families down on 'paper' for us all to share and have them recorded for posterity.

Thanks also for the guided tour of the Eston sites on the 9th August. I would recommend it to anyone who can walk a reasonable distance. It sounded more strenuous than it actually was (much better that way!). I wouldn't have have missed it for the world.

The prints I bought will be framed and hanging, in pride of place, hopefully by next weekend.

Once again, many thanks, keep up the good work and good luck with the funding of future projects.
Mike

Excellent film. Sadly just a couple of weeks ago the last of 'em passed away. You did this in the nick of time. Cheers.

We both had a very interesting and physically testing day out, don't mention the weather. All that history and lives lived in hard times. Shows the resilience of miners and their families and despite all the hard work and little money, the heart and generosity of the folks shines through. Well done Craig on explaining all the details!

Look forwards to your new book and keep up the good work Janet and John Barker

marvelous peace of history a film i will personal enjoy time and time again. If only to see my grandad Harlod Brighton much loved and sadly missed, would recomed everyone to buy it and learn a peace a history about were you live and come from.

Hello Craig,

Got round to signing the guest book at last !!!. I have watched the brilliant film you have made many times and every time I return to Yorkshire for a visit I make sure that I always take time to walk on the hills under which my grandad and great grandad slaved.

I am looking forward to enjoying the next hike on the 9th August, reading the reports of the last hike wet my appetite even more.

Keep up the good work.

Eric

FROM "GREEN BERET" on Boro fans website FMTTM...

Anybody been to Eston lately?

One of the foundation points of Middlesbrough itself being the place where the Eston mines began which sparked all the other mining points in this area?

Yet all this 'proud history' lark (which that Century in Stone video seemed to want to drape itself in) still doesn't disguise the fact that its in one of the worst states repairs Ive ever seen it, infact I'd even push the boat out and call it a total s*ithole.

In what way is Eston currently benefiting from this proud history, I don’t see any evidence? Will it ever benefit, unlikely because nobody cares anymore, especially those outside the Teesside boundaries.
Maybe the status quo needs changing, I cant see any wrong in attempting to bring the place into 21st century from its current 18th century hole.


REPLY FROM CRAIG PANCRACK: I agree Eston is now a dump but is not unique for that fact. Like most, if not all, working class communities in the "Tees Valley" they were all far nicer places to live 20-30 years ago...then virtually overnight comes the greatest upheaval/disruption to these communities in 150 years...the end of work, mass unemployment and permanent instability. Something that local councils and every poxy government initiative including the suits who invented the mythical Tees Valley have failed to address over the years as a hardened inbred underclass evolves with no prospects, no education, no clue and living in black market benefit ghettos...it doesnt take too many of these people to trash any community...but they wont change the history of the place nor the fact that working class blood, sweat and sacrifice made Middlesbrough the greatest iron and steel town on the face of the earth. The fact that they got nothing of Bolckow / Dormans millions, that their descendants were brutalised by Thatcherism and because our wonderful council visionaries ever since have failed to celebrate the people's history is why I made a film draped in working class pride ;)

I thoroughly enjoyed your film, especially since I lived on Bottomley's Row for a few years. Craig, we are related by marriage (Joe and Kath are my uncle and aunt), and apparently Pauline used to bring you to Mum's house on Fabian Road. How come EGS didn't manage to teach us more about our local heritage ?
I will be buying my own copy of the dvd, and I was pleased to see that you support green places around Mbro.
Dave Budd seems to be on the wrong side of the track, which is a shame since my first boyfriend was his younger brother, and Dave was always very socialist in his views as was his father.
I will email Dave about the woodland under threat, but from what I see it won't be too productive !
Keep up the good work
Maureen