A HIGHLY ambitious plan to create a huge £150,000 monument on top of one of the region’s most historic sites has been unveiled.

Craig Hornby, of the Friends of Eston Hills, has designed the monument for Eston Nab, a scheduled Ancient Monument near Middlesbrough, which would bear the names of 375 ironstone miners who died at the old iron mines between 1850 and 1949.

The 9f high and 32ft long marker would also commemorate the history of the site which dates back to the bronze age.

Mr Hornby is hoping that 15 Teesside companies and individuals will pledge £10,000 each toward the scheme.

But first he must persuade Historic England, the organisation charged with protecting the country’s most important historic sites, to allow the tribute to be built.

He explained that it is forbidden to build on the nation’s scheduled Ancient Monuments, unless doing so helps protect it. He has already had the North-East of England Inspector of Ancient Monuments to the site to show the level of vandalism, joy riding and fly-tipping he has found at Eston Nab, which the Friends bought it for the public in 2014 for £15,000. He said nearly 30 abandoned vehicles had been taken off the hill and 50 bags of litter were collected in just one clean-up operation.

He said: “Nothing can be built on it, unless it is abused. Well, the inspector said said had never seen an ancient monument so abused. I want kids in our area to be inspired, This place is a massive deal. It was the world’s number iron mine. It has a history dating back thousands of years.”

He added: “At 794ft high, Eston Nab is one of Teesside’s most famous landmarks yet relatively few people visit. It is one of Teesside’s most important historic sites yet few people know it. For too long, The Nab and hills have been under-promoted, neglected and abused. Greater understanding means greater respect and pride.”

Mr Hornby said there would be an archaeological dig costing £20,000 before any work took place. The monument would tell the story of the Bronze Age and Iron Age Fort but also of the Napoleonic Beacon which was erected to warn of a French invasion during the Napoleonic era. He had personally researched and recorded the names of the 2375 miners who died a the mine’s 99-year history, which includes the name of an 11-year-old boy.

Mr Hornby said that he hoped the monument would end an on-going saga involving the erection of a Flag of St George at the site. The flag has repeatedly been put up since the murder of soldier Lee Rigby and what Mr Hornby argued is a right-wing gesture. Instead there would a Union Flag in memory of people from across the UK who worked in the mine.