Having said that if you have no source of iron ore and no self sufficient energy production you’re stuffed anyway.

The UK ran out of both a fair while ago

Britain didn't run out of coal, it's just in deep seams that are uneconomic to extract compared to strip-mined lignite.

Newcastle is proverbially built on top of the stuff.

Although renewable energy sources and electric arc furnaces that consume scrap are preferred these days.

Notably, things like that is why they had their colonies.