10 SCIENTIFIC SURVEY OF LEICESTER AND DISTRICT 
between the arable land below on the marlstone and the cultivation above 
on the limestone and sand. 
Throughout much of this district the fields lie definitely below the level 
of the road. ‘This is an indication of the working of the area to recover the 
iron ore present in the marlstone and in the Northampton sandstone. 
The ore bed, which may be up to 14 ft. in thickness, lies from a few feet 
down to 18 ft. below the surface. It is readily worked, in long narrow 
strips, by removing the surface cover, transferring the cover to the other 
side of the strip, calcining the ore on the spot, and shipping after about 
eight weeks, the time needed for calcining. In this fashion the agricul- 
tural land is preserved. It is claimed that its fertility is actually increased. 
The general level of the land is reduced by the approximate thickness of 
the ore bed, though the amount of settling varies with the nature of the 
material forming the cover. Within our region the chief workings in 
operation are at Holwell, Buckminster, Branston, Knipton, Croxton, 
Eastwell, and Stainby to north and north-east of Melton, and at Tilton 
in the grassland uplands to east of Leicester. Many other workings, as at 
Corby, to east of our area exist. Much of the ore worked in the Leicester 
area goes to the furnaces at Asfordby near Melton. Here pig iron is pro- 
duced and is made into castings and piping, Although some of the ores 
are markedly calcareous, additional limestone for fluxing purposes is 
obtained from the Lincolnshire limestone. Coke comes from Yorkshire, 
and sand for moulds from the Bunter deposits near Nottingham. Since 
approximately nine-tenths of the British output of iron ore comes from 
the Northampton Sand and the Middle Lias, these workings are of great 
interest. ‘This interest is enhanced by the fact that the ironworks and 
also the iron workings are set in the midst of a fertile agricultural area and 
do a minimum of damage to the agricultural resources of that area. 
Although there is little commercial connection between the iron work- 
ings and the Leicestershire coalfield, we may next glance at its main 
features. Standing on Bardon Hill, the highest summit of the Charn- 
wood Forest, we look out westward over a landscape which contrasts 
sharply with that of the rest of our region. At our feet a steep slope runs 
down to the lowland. This lowland is studded with the pithead gears of 
the collieries and the long lines of the miners’ dwellings. These are 
clearly visible round Coalville and vanish into the distance towards 
Ashby, Donisthorpe, Swadlincote, and Burton. ‘To southward the pit- 
head gears become fewer and give place to pasture land. The towns are 
small, being little better than small market towns or overgrown villages, 
for there is no large scale manufacturing industry here. The towns and 
villages are mainly marketing centres and dwelling places for the miners, 
together with those engaging in a few subsidiary and minor activities. 
The coal raised is of a quality mainly suited for household purposes, 
and moves out of the district for consumption elsewhere. The few 
industries, other than coal mining, are largely connected with the suitability 
of the coal-measure clays for the manufacture of drain-pipes, saggars, and 
firebricks. 
1 The sandstone ore is calcined on the spot to save the cost of carriage and 
fuelin the furnaces. The marlstone ore is not calcined at the quarries. 
