Many Thanks

Many thanks to all our special volunteers on this project for all their help yesterday at the Show and Tell Day at the Burton, it was a hugely successful event with lots of visitors and they didn't stop all day - thanks Ros, Mike and Nicole.

BBC1 Spotlight 14313

To promote the Story of Bideford Black project and publicize the Show & Tell event on 20^th March at the Burton Gallery, a team from BBC1 Spotlight was invited to produce an article to be broadcast on their evening news program. On a beautiful sunny morning on Bideford Quay, with the old East the Water Mine site in the background, presenter Carol Madge and a cameraman quickly and efficiently story-lined a series of interviews and filming angles from the information provided by our team to sum up the project and its intentions.

‘The Story of Bideford Black’ BBC1 Spotlight 14313

Many thanks to Peter Christie (local historian), Chris Cornford (local geologist, IGI Ltd), Gerald Ford (ex-Bideford Black miner) and his wife Wendy, Pete Ward (local artist) and Miranda Clarke (Burton Gallery) for their enthusiastic contributions. It was fascinating to experience both the professionalism of the BBC team to produce the article so quickly about a subject they knew very little, and also to feel the excitement generated in the small group as memories and thoughts about Bideford Black were brought to the surface – a most promising indication of the projects potential over the coming months.

in sight of the mines (bideford black; p ward 2013) – painting made live by pete ward on BBC1 Spotlight 14313

Memories of ‘Uncle Howard’

In early March, a lucky coincidence brought the nephew of the last owner of Bideford Black Pigments Ltd to the Burton Gallery. Ken Cookes was visiting the area to look into his family history when he arrived at the Burton to see our posters requesting any information about Bideford Black. Talking to exhibition and collections officer Warren Collum, Ken recalled how his slightly wayward uncle, Howard St Louis Cookes, a black sheep of the family, had been sent to Bideford from London in 1935 to help liquidate the struggling Bideford Black Mining Company as part of his job as a well-to-do chartered accountant. However, ‘Uncle’ Howard had seen potential in the business and, despite lack of support from his family, had decided to buy it and bring it back to life. Howard's move started a lifelong obsession with mining and he spent many years travelling around the south west prospecting for other sites and making himself to other mining projects in the area. Ken remembered how Uncle Howard was reputed to have lived a playboy lifestyle from his Westward Ho! flat until his marriage and had owned a black convertible Riley sports car in which he would drive the Devon Lanes.

‘Howard Cookes was rather eccentric & Edwardian in outlook & manner.’ Ken Cookes (nephew)

Howard Cookes’ connections in the Ministry of Defence had secured business as a supplier of paint for tank camouflage, boat anti-foul and something to do with ammunitions(?). He later married an ‘Avon Lady’ who despite much speculation had no connection to the MAX FACTOR cosmetics company, who already had a factory based in East the Water, another lucrative avenue for business - Bideford Black being used in the production of mascara. Eventually Howard Cookes had folded the company in 1969, after a brief period running a wood yard and manufacturing wooden sheds at Chapel Park that were sold in Southampton. 

Mr Tony Cookes after his trip down the mineshaft with ‘Uncle Howard’, Chapel Park Mines 1955 (Courtesy Tony Cookes)

Ken’s brother Tony, who now lives in Australia, was old enough to be taken down the mines but Ken never got the chance to go down himself.

Many thanks to Ken and Tony for their contribution.

Two Black Seams beneath the Little White Town

A table full of maps and documents from TDC’s file on Bideford Black compiled by John Spencer in the 1980’s

As part of our continuing search for information about Bideford Black a fascinating and informative few hours were spent with Jon Charles, Building Control Surveyor from Torridge District Council, who shared research and maps completed by John Spencer a former surveyor for the council in the early 1980’s, among others. The presence of mine shafts beneath the town have made it necessary to study the safety of building developments in certain areas - basically a strip of land running east-west parallel with the old bridge between Greencliff and Chittlehampton where the seams ends.

Map showing the two seams of BLACK across North Devon from ‘Foundations For Low Rise Buildings in Torridge District Council Devon’ by Derek Sheldon

A particularly inspiring publication was ‘Foundations For Low Rise Buildings in Torridge District Council Devon’ by the former head of Building Control Derek Sheldon, revealing a dedication to hands on learning and presentation about the area rarely seen today. The book was produced as part of Derek’s qualification for the job.

In general the maps and charts show a surprising number of possible and known mine shafts across the town created for the extraction of both anthracite and ‘paint’ from two parallel seamsinclined at a 70 degree angle north to south, and included surveys regarding the Alverdiscott ‘link’ Road as well as various newspaper clippings of land collapses and letters between planning authorities and the Mining Company. To counteract the possibility of mineshaft collapses during building and development a process known as ‘grouting’, whereby concrete is poured into any voids created by mining activity, is employed.

Newspaper clippings and documents from TDC’s file on Bideford Black compiled by John Spencer in the 1980’s

Jon also recalled his own memories of incidents regarding the mines from growing up in the area including investigations into the ‘Liberty James’ scrap yard off Mines Road polluting the water table through the dumping of cars into disused mineshafts. Many thanks to Jon for his time and generosity in helping unravel the story further and giving a well-informed and enthusiastic depth to yet another fascinating aspect of the project.

'Devon's Non-metal Mines' by Richard A Edwards

North Devon Maritime Museum (http://www.northdevonmaritimemuseum.co.uk/) have kindly pointed us in the direction of this excellent book by Geologist Richard A Edwards that they helped with the research for, along with other local experts. The publication has an informative and well-illustrated chapter devoted to Bideford Black, focusing on the geology and history of coal and pigment mining in North Devon from the earliest records in late 17th Century until the mines' closure in the 1969. It was published by Halsgrove Press in 2010.

Bideford Black Pigments Ltd (It was never just "Bideford Black") and of course "Paint Mines" was just a local name…

Last week Jenny Shepherd, one of the last secretaries to work at the Bideford Black ‘Paint Mines’, contacted us. She has kindly shared some of her memories … 

“What I can remember:

I joined with my friend as a fully qualified secretary from the then North Devon College in 1960/61.  We did all duties from filing to Balance Sheet, trial balance, wages, invoices, correspondence, reception and everything in between.  My friend remembers that we had to ask for the 'phone numbers we required as there were no dialling facilities.

Chapel Park Processing Plant Door (P Ward 2010)

The office was a very old nissen hut with a wooden floor which had subsided so much on each side that there was a large open space (if memory serves correctly it was about 9" across) running the length of the room where the boards had come apart and from where the dust permeated.  Although It was extremely cold and dirty there was a very inefficient and antiquated cast iron, wood-burning stove that we were allowed to use when our fingers turned white and got too cold to type. In fact, everything was antiquated and damp.  The whole thing was situated in the middle of a wood at the end of Mines Road which was then just a country lane.  We were not allowed to see either the mine or the sawmills although we were promised to have a conducted tour.  Unfortunately it didn't happen. When we got home we had to scrub our faces with a nail brush and soap to remove the waterproof dust although it was not so apparent on us as it was on the miners' faces and hands.  I don't think there were any washing facilities for the men but cannot be certain.  We worked for Howard St Louis Cooke who was an accountant as well as (I think) a mining authority and certainly Victorian in his work ethic (and in other ways too which are better forgotten)!  He tried to be a divisive employer but luckily my friend and I remain close to this day.  The names which we can remember are Mr Wally Mugford (mining foreman), Mr Arthur who was possibly in charge of the sawmill and a Martin Pascoe.  The first has been deceased for a large number of years as I suspect has the second.  Mr Pascoe was much younger than them but older than we were.  Mr Mugford and Mr Arthur treated us very kindly.  I believe Mr Pascoe later became a private detective.  There may also have been a Mr Dymond.

‘Biddiblack’ and ‘Jetablack’ were mined and processed into powder at that time.  I understand in the beginning these dyes were used to colour the black pointing between the bricks of Victorian buildings but that subsequently the main monies were made during the war when it was used for camouflage purposes. I also understood that it might have been used later in the production of makeup. 

There was also a sawmill business which, in those days, was relatively new. 

We were advised that the mines travelled beyond Weare Giffard towards Torrington and possibly beyond but I do not know if or how they would have been filled in.  Mr Cooke owned many detailed maps.  I know, just on one occasion, when we were returning home from work there was a most eerie sound which sounded like the then popular theme music of the TV programme Quatermass.  We had never run so fast in our lives.  We believe it was just the angle of the wind through trees and over one of the shafts but it terrified us at the time!

Rather different circumstances than today's!

Kind regards

Jenny Shepherd “

Chapel Park Processing Plant Site (P Ward 2010)

Many thanks to Jenny, and we look forward to any other details she might recall… 

we need your stories!

Our poster to publicise the SHOW & TELL day at the Burton on the 20th March, form 1100 to 330...

We look forward to seeing you there.

Mystery Photos

We were recently shown these two photos from the www.northam-devon.co.uk website - one a view from the old paint mines across to Cleave in Northam, the other a painting of a donkey on a shed very near the mines using black paint, possibly Bideford Black itself ( lets hope so, the image is fantastic)...

 Cleave from behind mine at Bideford (from www.northam-devon.co.uk)

Northam Donkey House (from www.northam-devon.co.uk)

However, as yet we haven’t found their source or any verification of the nature of the donkey painting - there is no accreditation on the www.northam-devon.co.uk website or any means of contacting the authors. If anyone has any information regarding the source of these photographs we would really appreciate it so that full credit and even copyright information may be given and the possibility of using them in future publications may be possible.

Many Thanks :-)

A SONG OF BIDEFORD BLACK by John Purser

‘The Tale of Bideford Black’, a song written by local musician John Purser, has been kindly sent to us as a lively addition to our archive with a short explanation of how he came to write it. It is exactly this kind of original and diverse response to our local history that will make this project such a genuine and personal archive of our local community. Enjoy…

https://soundcloud.com/john-purser1/the-tale-of-bideford-black

“Basically the song started with the account of anthracite mining in "The Book of Bideford" by Peter Christie and Alison Grant - my late mother-in-law, who lived in Bideford had a copy.  I was intrigued by the thought of mining paint and caught out one or two geography teachers where I taught in Hertfordshire.

On moving to Barnstaple I became an active member of Bideford folk club and many local singer-songwriters became friends.  This inspired me to start writing. "Bideford Black" was the first song I wrote (in 2003). I am not a prolific writer – my latest song "Bideford Witches" emerged last year after about three years in the writing.”

Many thanks John :-)

Message from Australia

In 2011 local artist Pete Ward exchanged an amount of Bideford Black for some Australian earth pigments with visiting Aboriginal Elder Noel Butler. Noel and his nephew have since used the pigment to paint their bodies for ceremonial and public performances in New South Wales. On hearing about the 'Story of Bideford Black' Project Noel sent this message about his experiences of using Bideford Black...

'In our Culture as Aboriginal Australians we paint the colours of the Earth on our bodies in patterns and markings representing symbols of spiritual connections to the land. This also gives us a connection and an identification with our land.

Upon meeting Pete Ward, and his connection with Bideford Black and his understanding of the connectedness with the soil from his land, we have a spiritual communication and tie that is not understood by many non-indigenous people. This is capable of everyone to have a sense of belonging to the earth.'

Noel Butler

Aboriginal Elder

South Coast NSW

Narooma Noel & Phil, New South Wales (image courtesy Trish Roberts 2012)

Many thanks to Noel, Phil and Trish for sharing their story.

Announcing our project and funders

We are delighted that the Bideford Black project is now up and running and are thrilled to announce and acknowledge our funders:

A Heritage Lottery Fund 'All our Stories' grant and The Friends of the Burton.

We sent a press release to that effect and you can see it here on the North Devon Gazette's website
and here at the North Devon Journal's website

Bideford Black Miners 1935 (courtesy Ackland and Edwards Archive)

Welcome to the Bideford Black Blog!

A project to celebrate the history, geology and uses of a unique natural resource

Running alongside seams of anthracite across North Devon is a black clay-like material that was mined for 200 years in Bideford for its uses as a strong black pigment. The unique ‘Mineral Black’, or ‘Biddiblack’ as it was known, was commercially produced for applications in the boat building industry, for colouring rubber products, for camouflage on tanks in WWII and was even bought by Max Factor for the production of mascara. The mines were closed in 1969 when the production of cheaper oil-based blacks and the depletion of the seam made the operation financially unviable, but many locals still remember the ‘Treacle Mines’ and have tales to tell of using the paint or going into the now defunct mine shafts.

However, these memories, and the chance of finding any other physical artifacts, relating to the mining industry are becoming scarcer as time passes. It is hoped that this project, led by local artist Peter Ward, will provide an opportunity to explore this unique local resource and to bring these memories together before it is too late.

We're in the very early stages of this project which is funded by The Heritage Lottery & The Friends of The Burton Art Gallery & Museum. Our plan is to set about recording people's memories of Bideford black - a special pigment which has been put to lots of uses over the years, from the industrial to the artistic. There are going to be events, educational opportunities and at the end of the project a new permanent display, telling the Story of Bideford Black, located at The Burton.

While we're preparing to post details of the project over the coming year why not visit HERE and discover more about the pigment itself? You can also check out more work by Peter Ward who works with this pigment - visit HERE and HERE.

Details of what we're up to will be posted to The Burton Art Gallery & Museum facebook page which is HERE as well as on this blog.

If you've already got some information about Bideford Black to share please feel free to get in touch right now! Our email address is bidefordblackblog@gmail.com