The Preesall Salt Industry - Part 5 1925-1989

by Rosemary Hogarth

After 1925, little or no salt was sent out from Preesall by rail. According to local railway enthusiasts, this was because of a dispute over tariffs between the railway company and the United Alkali Company¹. Rush and Price in, "The Garstang and Knott End Railway", state that in 1925, "A dispute arose within the United Alkali Co over cartage rates which caused that concern to install a pipeline under the River Wyre to their older works at Burn Naze, on the outskirts of Fleetwood, and to start pumping brine to the other side for processing". In fact, brine had been transported to Burn Naze via a pipeline under the River Wyre since 1891. Despite much research, I have found no evidence of disputes over tariffs and can only conclude that there had been a change in company policy when the United Alkali Company became part of ICI in 1926. Brine continued to be pumped through the pipeline to the Ammonia Soda and Salt Works at the other side of the River Wyre and rock salt was taken out via the ICI owned mineral railway to Preesall jetty and loaded into ships.

The days of rock salt mining in Preesall were coming to a close. In the early 1920s, water and brine had entered the mine². On Monday 2 June 1930, water suddenly poured into the upper mine with, according to the "Fleetwood Chronicle" of 6 June 1930, "A roar which reverberated through the subterranean caverns". A dozen men working in the upper mine were quickly brought to the surface. About 40 square yards of land at the "Flash" subsidence³, including part of Clod's Carr Lane, had subsided and water poured into a disused part of the upper mine about 450 feet below. The mine foreman, Mr James Bannister, told the "Fleetwood Chronicle" that a small amount of water had also got into the working part of the mine but that the lower mine, about 900 feet deep, was unaffected and men carried on working there. On 13 June 1930 the "Fleetwood Chronicle" was optimistically reporting. "All fears of further danger at the Preesall salt mine, following the recent subsidence, were dispelled this week. The huge volume of water which suddenly entered the upper level of the mine has settled in the disused workings. It is expected that it will eventually be converted into brine to be available for commercial use. To outward appearances the area affected by the subsidence is extending. Cracks in the land near the cavity have become visible but the "Chronicle" were assured that there have been no further collapses and that none is expected". Clod's Carr Lane, the only access road to Cote Walls Farm, had partially subsided and a new road had to be made from Acres Lane. On 27 February 1931 Clod's Carr Lane was officially closed on the condition that ICI agreed to be responsible for the maintenance of the new replacement road.

Irreparable damage had been done to the salt mine. Water in a salt mine is a disaster. Even damp air is extremely dangerous as salt is deliquescent and will absorb moisture from the air and dissolve itself. After the June 1930 influx of water, pumps were installed to pump out the brine but the 20 yard square pillars which supported the roof of the mine began to dissolve. The saltminers were put on short time and at the end of the year received notices terminating their employment. The mine closed early in 1931; all the machinery was removed and within months the workings were flooded. From a labour force of over 300 when ICI took over, only 20-30 men were now required to maintain the 30 brine wells and pumping machinery. The "Fleetwood Chronicle" of 17 June 1931 reports, "Rumours of the complete closing down of the Preesall Salt Works have been current again in the district. The exact position of the Works and its future were explained to The Fleetwood Chronicle' on Wednesday by Mr CA Stevens, the works' manager. He explained that the offices would be closed and that the only work to be carried on would be that of pumping brine and water. Owing to the closing of the mine at the beginning of the year, together with other plant connected with it, the production of salt would only be carried on at Burn Naze. He stated, 'The Preesall works are simply a pumping station, supplying brine and water to the Ammonia Soda Works at the other side of the river. These changes have involved re-organisation to secure the most economic conditions and there has been considerable reduction in the number of men employed. The company's offices in Preesall are closing down in the near future but as many as possible of the staff are being retained in the Company's employ elsewhere. The men with any considerable length of service will receive pensions and others considerations"".

1931 was a bad time to look for new employment. Although many men were employed at Burn Naze and others found work in Fleetwood or retired on pensions, there were 150 unemployed in Preesall by October 1931. Preesall Urban District Council employed many of them to sewer, level, pave and make up streets in Knott End. The paving edges now, in 1989, being replaced were laid by these men in 1931. At Christmas 1931 the Urban District Council gave food vouchers to 150 families in Preesall. All were redeemed at local shops. The total population of Preesall in 1931 was 2,049 and according to the "Fleetwood Chronicle" of 17 July 1931, "Three parts of those living in Preesall now have been at one time connected with the Salt Works in one way or another".

Brine and water continued to be pumped under the River Wyre to Burn Naze where, according to the "Lancashire Daily Post", 24 February 1932, "A hundred different processes convert it into every possible chemical product". Brine was pumped out of the flooded mine workings until, in 1934, the land above the mine north east of the shafts subsided, creating what is locally known as "The Big Hole". According to Mr Harold Daniels, this subsidence pushed brine up the two disused shafts high into the air to flood the surrounding fields.

In 1956, in order to secure their water supplies for brine production for the future, ICI purchased 20 farms east of the fault line comprising about 1,550 acres, from the Elletson family. Many of these farms have since been sold to the tenants but ICI have retained water and mineral rights.

The pumping of water and brine under the River Wyre is still, in 1989, done from the No 5 Pumping Station in Back Lane, Preesall. About 1,000 tons of salt a day go under the River Wyre in the form of brine. It eventually becomes, among other things, PVC. Since 1934 there have been a few minor subsidences, all predicted, over early brine wells which had been drilled in the 1890s⁴ . Nowadays, solid salt is left between the cavities and once they have been fully developed, the used cavities are filled with a fully saturated solution of brine and closely monitored. One used cavity is used for storing brine sludge, waste products from the Works. Currently about 12 wells are in production. Two of these were put down in 1985 and three in 1988. There is plenty of salt left for the forseeable future.

References

1. Rosemary Hogarth, The Preesall Salt Industry Part 3 1912-1923 in The Over-Wyre Historical Journal Vol III.
2. Rosemary Hogarth and Geoffrey R Binns, The Preesall Salt Industry Part 4 Engineering Techniques 1875-1926 in The Over-Wyre Historical Journal Vol IV.
3. Rosemary Hogarth, The Preesall Salt Industry Part 2 1892-1911 in The Over-Wyre Historical Journal Vol II.
4. Rosemary Hogarth, The Preesall Salt Industry Part 3 1912-1923.

Acknowledgements

Mr Harold Daniels, my great uncle, the last surviving salt miner who died aged 92 in July 1988. In 1984, Mr Daniels opened the exhibition mounted by ICI to celebrate the centenary of Preesall Salt.