A£4M project to preserve and highlight the impact industrialisation had on the North York Moors looks set to exceed its ambitions, but its organisers are hoping to cement its legacy by preserving one of the national park’s top landmarks.

The North York Moors National Park Authority is considering launching a £1m fundraising drive to conserve the crumbling iron kilns of Rosedale, which saw the start of the area’s explosion of modern ironstone mining in the 1850s.

The massive structure was built by navvies over 18 months to burn ore with coal to reduce its weight by up to half and remove impurities, cutting the cost of transporting it to be smelted into iron in Durham and later Teesside.

This history has been celebrated in the four-year project which has seen major building conservation work completed at Rosedale Bank Top and iron kilns, Warren Moor Mine, Esk Valley Mine, and on the Rail Trail Bridges and Combs Wood.

The Lottery-backed initiative has also seen community archaeology excavations undertaken, a young archaeologists club established, a wealth of historic information recorded and electronic archive developed with Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum.

Working with 106 landowners, the scheme has led to the restoration of 231 hectares of ancient woodland and 9km of hedges as well as 24km of paths improved in an effort that has included 3,916 volunteer days.

The project’s manager, Tom Mutton, said while the pandemic had reduced the amount of public activities, the programme’s overall impact had been above target.

He said the scheme included a budget of £100,000 to carry out conservation work on the Rosedale stone kilns, but it had become apparent about £1m would be needed to conserve what is a monument of national importance, due to its “perilously fragile condition” and difficulties reaching it.

Mr Mutton said: “Although it does seem crazily ambitious in this current climate to raise that kind of money we have got this gut feeling because the 16 arches are so iconic on the landscape that raising funds through a crowdfunding campaign could gain some momentum.

“Not only are the kilns amazing from a distance, but when you get up close to them it’s like ‘wow, these are just enormous’ and the activity there must have been there.

“Part of the story is how they decimated the landscape and in the 90 years since it closed nature has softened it and given us a chance to reflect upon the environmental impact of what we do. To get people to enjoy the experience in a bit more detail, we are looking at potentially opening up the arch at the far north of the kilns to its original size, to give people an impression of what it was like when it was operational.”

It is hoped conservation work could start in spring 2022, and would last for around 18 months – the same time it took navvies to build the kilns.

Other initiatives aiming to further the project’s legacy include the creation of a series of films featuring poetry and music about the kilns and a definitive history on the ironstone mines.