The Don Valley Brickworks opened in 1882 and was a site of open pit mining. This meas instead of having the traditional hole dug in the sides of hills a mountains, a whole side of the hill was dug out to expose in the case of the Don Valley, the certain type of rock needed for making bricks was shale and slate*.
So why use open pit mining? Well it's easier to get to the minerals, it's easier to transport the goods out of the mining site, and it is less dangerous in terms of cave-ins. And in terms of production compared to costs, it's not as expensive.
*Slate is shale that has been compressed together. it is of the same composition of shale, but the layers are thicker.
 |
| The Don Valley brick works in the 70s |
 |
| The Don Valley in present day (2010) |
So why use open pit mining? Well it's easier to get to the minerals, it's easier to transport the goods out of the mining site, and it is less dangerous in terms of cave-ins. And in terms of production compared to costs, it's not as expensive. 