Monument record 8432/5/4 - Cricket Field Pit

All this area was collectively referred to as Cricket Field Pit, which was worked intensively by Charles Barlow throughout the First World War. Just prior to the war the quarries were becoming exhausted especially the land north of Finedon. Onset of war saw an expansion of the business but this only occurred during the war years and after it ceased business was run down. Working conditions were hard. During the war when demand for iron was high 200 men were employed and 1000 tons per day were despatched. ‘Strippers’ were paid per square yard of topsoil removed; ‘muck shifters’ removed the overburden (about 12 cubic yards per day each); ‘rock fillers’ loaded 16 wagons of ore per day; ‘cally fillers’ took calcined ore, three hundredweights at a time, by barrow to railway wagons. They all generally worked from 6.00am to 4.00pm.

{1} Most of the land previously worked by Charles Barlow was by this time was owned by Ebbw Vale Steel iron & Coal Co.Ltd. as part of their Irthlingborough development, but they leased nearly 8 acres near the cemetery to Barlow for 9 years from 14th June 1919. All this area was collectively referred to as Cricket Field Pit, which was worked intensively during the First World War. Working conditions were hard. During the war when demand for iron was high 200 men were employed and 1000 tons per day were despatched. ‘Strippers’ were paid per square yard of topsoil removed; ‘muck shifters’ removed the overburden (about 12 cubic yards per day each); ‘rock fillers’ loaded 16 wagons of ore per day; ‘cally fillers’ took calcined ore, three hundredweights at a time, by barrow to railway wagons. They all generally worked from 6.00am to 4.00pm. By 1920 all the working faces were clustered round Finedon Cemetery, and the tramway towards Burton Latimer unused for production. Shortly after the war Charles was succeeded by his son Harold, who managed operations for ten years until closure in about September 1930.
Mapping taken from source sketch plan p.132.

<1> Tonks E., 1990, The Ironstone Quarries of The Midlands (History, Operation and Railways): The Wellingborough Area, p.129-59 (part checked) (Book). SNN45742.

Record last edited

Oct 18 2019 11:32AM