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It’s hard to believe that
this is where Britain’s chemical industry was
created – or possibly invented – in the 17th
century by an enterprising chap named Thomas
Challoner. He discovered that a substance
called alum found in local quarries could make
a ‘mordant’ used to permanently dye wool when
it was mixed with seaweed and stale human
urine. Demand for this vital ingredient was
insatiable until, in modern times, scientists
found how to make it synthetically. Visiting
the site of this discovery is a sobering
experience. The Romans once had a fort here
and George III visited Ravenscar in an attempt
to recuperate from his bouts of illness. |
One of the local residents at Ravenscar -
Photo:
Mick Garratt
CCL |
