From An Old News Paper Cutting

A First World War mine drawn by Ulric Walmsley in 1919

The caption reads:

"During rough weather on Febuary 18th, a large mine with a bar across it was washed up on the shore at Robin Hood's Bay. It had evidently been washing about for some time, as it was coated with barnacles, and had starfish and muscles clinging to it. Several of these dangerous monsters have been washed up recently, and many more may be expected. They are extremly dangerous and finders should immediately inform the Coastguard of there whereabouts."

On the beach at Peak among the rocks is an old WWII contact mine. The top has been unbolted to facilitate the removal of it's deadly cargo. The explosives charges were disposed of by burning. Now long gone, brass horns would have protruded from the mine. Inside these Hertz Horns there would have been a glass tube of acid used to energise a battery, which in turn detonated the main charge of nitro-cellulose.

During WWII there were two large mine fields laid to protect the North East Coast. The mines were deployed by ships or submarines and floated just below the surface on the end of a chain and anchor. These often failed and the mine could drift anywhere, killing indisciminantely.

Buster and a WWII mine near Runswick Bay.

On the beach at Bay...

It's an old cement mixer not a mine.

I remember seeing another mine near the waterfall at Hayburn Wyke, but it must have become buried under rocks.