Coxhoe Chronology
courtesy of John Smailes


1901
 Coxhoe Limestone Company registered with quarry at Coxhoe Bank
1904
 Steetley purchase Coxhoe Works, the company's first expansion from the Steetley Works near Worksop
1906
 Steetley's first Shaft Kiln installed to make Doloma supplying the North East steel industry. Several key workers transfer from Worksop to Coxhoe
Basic cottages built at Coxhoe for Steetley employees within walking distance of the Shaft Kilns
1916
 October 10th, an airship raids the Basic works and extra protection is given to site
1917
 Government allocate German POW's to work at Coxhoe due to wartime labour shortages. Allocations also made to Raisby Basic Company
1919
 Ten Shaft Kilns now supplying the North East steel industry with Doloma flux and furnace lining.
1932
 Foundation stone laid by the Steetley Lime and Basic company for the new Coxhoe Village Hall
1936
 Steetley Company produce trial quantities of synthetic magnesia from dolomite and seawater. Dolomite is sent from Coxhoe to Worksop, fired in a test kiln to produce dolime which was hydrated and reacted in a bath tub with seawater from Hartlepool. The resulting magnesium hydroxide when converted to the oxide compared favourably against natural magnesite in a refractory application. UK would no longer be totally dependent upon imported natural magnesite. Engineers from Coxhoe transfer to the Hartlepool Palliser Works project
1937
 Steetley build a 10,000 ton/year seawater magnesia plant at Hartlepool, the subsidiary named the British Periclase Co Ltd
1938
 The Coxhoe Gas Fired Lime Kiln built to supply Hartlepool with dolime. Hartlepool produces its first product
1939
 WWII commences September. Seawater magnesia becomes a potential replacement for imported natural magnesite when supplies from Europe were cut-off.
1941

Magnesium metal for lightweight alloys and incendiary bomb production becomes a Government priority. Reactive magnesium oxide powders developed at Hartlepool during 1938 are needed as the raw material by Magnesium Elektron at Manchester for processing into magnesium metal. Steetley's original intention to produce refractory grade magnesias becomes of secondary importance and their Stabilised Dolomite Bricks are used in the steelmaking process instead of seawater based products.
Hartlepool and Coxhoe come under the control of the Ministry of Supply.
During 1940, at Government request. Steetley had designed, and commenced construction of a second seawater magnesia plant at Harrington on the Cumberland coast. Harrington was controlled by the Ministry of Aircraft Production.
Supplying dolime to both Hartlepool and Harrington a bank of four shaft kilns were built at Coxhoe - called the Harrington Shore Works Kilns they supplied the Cumberland operation by rail.
Shaft kilns were installed at Raisby Quarry as a back-up in case Coxhoe was damaged by bombing.

1945

WWII ends and Harrington Works closes as the demand for magnesium metal plummets. Hartlepool's production turned to refractory magnesia. Coxhoe thrives as Hartlepool's output increases. The Harrington Shore Works Kilns supply Hartlepool with dolime.
Basic Doloma production to the steel industry also at a peak.

Mid 1940's Coxhoe Quarry high quality dolomite stocks running out. Refractory magnesia produced at Hartlepool is unable to compete favourably with competitors products.
1947
 The steam locomotives transporting stone from the Quarry are replaced by Euclid 15-ton Dump trucks
Preliminary exploration started in the Coxhoe area to locate suitable dolomite reserves close to the Coxhoe Works
1949
 Steetley commences test drilling in the Coxhoe area in conjunction with United Steel Company
Old Quarrington Quarry: an ideal location close to the Coxhoe Works was found to be chemically unsuitable.
Beacon Hill (close to Quarrington Hill): dolomite found to be very good chemically but in a location difficult to quarry.
Thrislington (close to West Cornforth): vast reserves of suitable dolomite located. Good rail links but a new works would have to be built.
1950
 Major refurbishment of Coxhoe's Quarry Processing Plant make it the most modern dolomite works in the country
1951
 New office block, workshop and canteen opened
1952 Coxhoe dolomite sent to USA for burning trials in a Flash Calciner Kiln being considered to produce dolime for Hartlepool. These calcination trials were compared against a rotary kiln burning dolomite at the Hartlepool Works. Despite the Flash Calciner giving good results, it is decided that a rotary kiln would be more suitable
1953 Steetley installs a rotary kiln with planetary coolers at Coxhoe - to an identical design used at Cape May, New Jersey, USA. Five shaft kilns are still operational
1954 Deciding that long term reserves were an important business objective, Steetley opt to construct a new works at Thrislington
Works starts on Thrislington development. Coxhoe continues to operate and both works supply both the steel industry and Hartlepool. Two product streams are developed at Hartlepool, one based on Thrislington product and a less pure grade on Coxhoe dolomite.
1967 Reserves are exhausted and Coxhoe Quarry and Basic Works are closed. The Coxhoe rotary kiln continues to operate with dolomite supplied from Thrislington.
Some Quarry and Basic workers transferred to the Thrislington operation
1976 Coxhoe rotary kiln refurbished at a cost of £191,000 to meet anticipated increased demand for Hartlepool during the 4th quarter of the year
1980 Coxhoe rotary kiln ceased operation at the end of the year. Thrislington, with three rotary kilns, is able to supply all production requirements.
1981 Seventy-five years of Steetley's association with Coxhoe were celebrated. Three days of events culminated with the demolition of the chimney by Christine Crathorne, the daughter of a local councillor