Beehive coke oven

Demand from the Sheffield steel industry led to the development of a significant coking industry in north Derbyshire in the later nineteenth century. The use of beehive coke ovens persisted even after the development of more efficient bye-product recovery ovens due to the steelmakers believing that the product of the beehive non-recovery system was superior.

Summerley Colliery at Unstone was sunk in 1871 and operated only until 1884. Coal was coked in two back-to-back banks each of 24 beehive ovens and these continued in use until 1921. Today the ovens survive and are listed as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, but this has not resulted in much care and maintenance of the structure which is in poor condition and has been damaged by trees. This view shows the roof of one of the ovens and the fused firebrick due to the high temperatures achieved during the coking process.