Moorhole Colliery Owlthorpe

[vox]

I wonder if what looked like a drift mine was one of the tunnels used as shelters? There are some pictures on the site here:

That sounds very likely to be what I remember seeing, although I'm sure there were rails there, and abandoned trucks. Maybe they went past it rather than into it.

[RLongden]

You could well be right there vox. It was maybe late 70's I walked across the old pit yard regular, as I used to see a girl "off 'Acky" and as a Woodus lad.................. talk about forbidden love eh?

Down Spa Lane, or over "Fairground field", used to bring you out on the path that led down to Rainbow Bridge and up in to the bottom end of 'Acky (pre-A57 "New Road"). Can't quite remember where it was she lived...... Delves something? Near the Hogs Head pub?

Anyway, off topic but still can't believe I used to trudge all that way, especially when the 25 bus got me most of the way there and was only 2p?! Young and daft!

[miamivice]

Searching Rainbow tools brings up a company that made spades etc... Has anyone seen this Morris Minor with a tree through it though?

I've seen the photos on another thread about Moorside Mining. This is my next site to look at. Apart from the images already seen in that thread does anyone have any further knowledge or photos?

[RLongden]

Eckington (Moorside Mining) colliery is at the end of the industrial estate, just beyond Eckington crossroads, the entrance to it is opposite the old 'Atco' shed (You Can Hire). It's a relatively modest size drift mine, marked in the top Google Maps image.

There are still signs on the ground of the old Moorside colliery, marked by the red rectangle in the bottom Google Maps image. But, looking at the third image in the link to the thread you mentioned above.........

http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic/12062-colliery-near-mosborough/?p=98237

......... the end of the track stretches all the way down along which is now Moor Farm Garth, marked by the blue rectangle. The position can be determined by aligning the houses on Moorside Close on the left of the photo, The new build houses on the start of Moor Farm Garth to the right and the older houses on Mosborough Moor (A6135), the most notable of which is the one with the 'pointed' roof, immediately above the British Oak.

I don't have any historical information on the colliery, but thought it might be worthwhile showing the location of each?

Moorside_Colliery_New.tiff

Moorside_Colliery_Old.tiff

However, there is more information on Moorhole colliery in Len Widdowson's 'Around Hackenthorpe'. There are several pages of text and photographs, with some of the engine houses right up to the point where they were demolished to make way for the housing development, which is Moor Valley Close and behind where you found one of the capped shafts. There is also information on Dent Main drift mine, across the road from Moorhole and some on Birley East.

[lysander]

Have a look at ;

www.moorsidemining.co.uk

[miamivice]

I was under the impression the adits for Moorside mining were now underneath the estate? Or was it just the buildings? In that case it could be the adit is in the spoil heap somewhere?

[RLongden]

Using a bit of 'Blue Peter' magic, creating an overlay of the 'old map' (thanks Steve HB) on the new aerial view and lining up surviving buildings (Oak VIllas, British Oak, etc.) and field boundaries, you get a sense of the layout of the colliery over the housing estate that is there now?

Now, looking again at the photos posted by Unitedite Returns in these posts: (great shots btw!)

on this link.............

http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic/12062-colliery-near-mosborough/?p=98217

This derelict structure is shown as '2' in my overlay map. The main colliery building and where the machinery and handling equipment was, one assumes?

and on this link.............

http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic/12062-colliery-near-mosborough/?p=98237

The cottage buildings are shown as '1' in my overlay map. Note the 'T' shape?

The shot with the scattered trucks, looking back over the derelict structure, towards Mosbooro' Moor is '4' in my overlay map. Note the height of the wall below the white truck, which is on the main road?

The shot with the coil of steel rope on an old mine truck is '3' on my overlay map. Note the symbols denoting rail lines, with 3 adits going into the ground, all away from the main road?

Apologies for the ramble, but hope this illustrates the lie of the land, as was?

[miamivice]

So the drift is in the road and basically in someone's back garden. I'm guessing it will have been completely filled in now though. I'm heading up there this week I'll have a look for anything that's left.

[RLongden]

Application to open Eckington Coal Mine, after reserves at Moorside were exhausted.

Interesting to note reference to Moorside Colliery on middle of page 3 and close date at bottom in note 6iii of 31/03/1992?

Eckington Colliery_Moorside Mining - Application Form.pdf

[miamivice]

Yes, I understand it was closed by the feb and filled in by march. I saw unitedite put some pictures up on another post. Did he have any of the actual adits?

[Old rider]

I used to go to Tungsten Carbide Developments to service and repair their Induction Heating Equipment that was used to braze the carbide tips on to turning and mining tools. There was no sign of any mining activity at that time. No rails or trucks that I saw. When mining was virtually closed down in this country they had no market for most of their products, ripper bits etc. I met one of their ex employees later on in Germany at Boert mining tools in Fulda Germany.

Looking for old pits? Here are a couple to consider.

Manor top end of Ridgeway Road. Builder brother in law was building a home there for the council. They knew there was an old shaft on the site but not its actual location. He said it didn't matter as long as it was not at the corner of the building. Unfortunately it was. He had to get a company called Cementation in who spent weeks pumping concrete down the shaft to get good foundations for the building. He reckoned that it was the Silkstone Seam coming near the surface at that point.

At the top of Mickley Lane Totley was company called Standall Tools, another mining tool company now gone and the site cleared. Behind the factory was a man made hill wit the top flattened to make a car park. That was said to be the spoil tip of the mine. Between the hill and the factory was a brick built structure some 10 or 15 feet high that was said to be the actual mine shaft.

[RLongden]

It may have been mentioned before, or elsewhere, but I didn't realise there were actually three collieries, rather than just two in that immediate area on Mosboro' Moor?

Looking at the 1875-82 map of the area, at that time there were Swallow's Colliery (disused), Mosborough Moor Colliery (active) and Moorside Colliery (not even established).

http://maps.nls.uk/view/101600256

Mosborough Moor Colliery looks to have been in the area adjacent to the path between Swallow's Colliery and the road, now where No.158 and the houses to the right now stand?

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.328546,-1.36755,3a,90y,41.09h,81.89t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sf6zI88u6bmdk1SMBtdWnhA!2e0?hl=en

Maybe those big locked gates with the concrete blocks in front are keeping people away from something? The path to where Swallow's used to be is just to the left, but interesting to note that the gardens stop short of this fenced off area. Maybe the old shaft of Mosborough Moor Colliery? Looks about the right place? Might be worth a trip out for a peek?

If you look at the map in and around Mosborough and note all the annotations for all the collieries, old coal pits and shafts, the whole area must have been an absolute rabbit warren? (not including the actual one, shown south of Waterthorpe Farm! )

[miamivice]

Definitely worth a look I'd say! So do the gardens of the houses on Westfield Crescent have a gap between them and Swallows Lane?

Been up to Moorside Colliery today, found the remnants of an old colliery trolley in the undergrowth! Took a photo to include in the document I'm writing about it.

[Unitedite Returns]

Apologies for the delay in answering your question, but I have only noticed your post on this matter today.

I did not take any photographs of the two drift mine entrances when I surveyed the site of Moorside Colliery, essentially, as they had been completely filled in and obliterated by the time that I visited the site.

Most of the surface structures were still extant, and still reasonably intact, when I took the photographs, as you can see, which leads me to surmise that the two drifts had been closed up very soon after the actual workings had ceased.

Their locations could still be determined, but only by their relationship to the existing structures and visually, only as an amorphous mass of freshly bulldozed earth and clay. Had there been something meaningful to photograph, then I would have done so, but there wasn't.

I do not know as to what extent they had been filled up underground, but I can state that at least on the surface, that all evidence of their existence had been well and truly obliterated, well before the rest of the site was cleared.

ps - I was surprised to learn that one of the tubs still exists, as I thought that the scrap recovery guys were usually very diligent. Do you think that it could be one of the three, hidden in the undergrowth, that were captured by me?

[miamivice]

Possibly, If you did a bit of digging no doubt you might find the tracks. I would be a bit dubious if I lived in the new houses over the adits though!

[miamivice]

Unitedite in your post on the other thread you mention paperwork being left at moorside. What was the nature of it?

[miamivice]

Looking for evidence of the shaft cap for beighton colliery - not brookhouse. On the road now marked colliery way. There is some new industrial units but no sign of any shaft marker. Can anyone shed any light on this?

[Unitedite Returns]

Unitedite in your post on the other thread you mention paperwork being left at moorside. What was the nature of it?

​My apologies for not having responded sooner, but essentially, "blowing around in the wind", were the following,

35 x "Daily General Report on His Shift by A Deputy in Charge of His District" - generally dated, May and June 1979, of which, roughly 35 were recoverable. Records shift start and end times, [generally 6.30 am to 2.30 pm], daily barometer readings, etc. Typically 10 to 11 underground workers and the Parkgate Seam was being worked.

1 x "Transport Rules" - details haulage signals, maximum numbers of tubs that can be hauled, use of sprags, etc.

1 x "Plan of Shot Holes"

3 x List of Checks and Lamp Numbers", dated 28/01/1982, 25/01/1985, 16/03/1987 - there were 21 lamps and checks, of which generally, 12 were assigned to named individuals.

All single sheet, one sided documents which generally exhibit some evidence of exposure to the elements, as they really were "blowing in the wind", so, I salvaged those that were still legible.

Most had been carried, presumably by the wind, to the extreme, northern boundary, and so, would not have survived for long, had I not recovered them.

 

 

 

 

[miamivice]

Does anyone have any maps or pictures of mossbrook  colliery? 

[boginspro]

From this site http://www.aditnow.co.uk/Mines/Mossbrook-Coal-Mine_9472/

"LOCATED EDGE OF LADYBANK WOOD AT ECKINGTON. THE MINE OPENED IN MARCH 1955 BY THE MOSSBROOK COLLIERY COMPANY LTD EMPLOYING 12 UNDERGROUND AND 2 AT GRASS. THE MINE CLOSED FROM SEPT 1956 TO MAY 1958 DUE TO FLOODING. THE MINE CHANGED HANDS A NUMBER OF TIMES BEING OWNED BY T.BEATTIE FROM 1961, HEYWOOD PLANT HIRE FROM 1965, STRETTON FIRE CLAY CO AND FINALLY BY THE DOE LEA COLLIERY CO LTD FROM 1971 TO CLOSURE IN DECEMBER 1979. BY NOVEMBER 1980 THE DRIFT WAS FILLED AND ALL BUT ONE BUILDING DEMOLISHED.
UNDERGROUND WORKING WAS TOTALLY BY HAND AND HAULAGE TO SURFACE BY ELECTRIC ENGINE BUILT BY W & H NELSON OF MOSSEND GLASGOW. THE MINE WORKED THE PARKGATE SEAM."

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[jon7]

On 10/17/2014 at 17:22, miamivice said:

Looking for more recent history such as when the concrete shaft cap was put in?

you into exploring?