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Mossbrook Colliery


miamivice

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Does anyone have a map for the location of Mossbrook Colliery at Eckington? Was it at exactly at the bottom of Gashouse Lane before you cross the river or was it on the other side after the river, behind the church?  

Is there any evidence there of the mine now?

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I've had a look through all of my mining books, and I must admit that I can find nothing that indicates the location of this pit.

In fact, any records about it do seem rather scant.

Do you know if it was known by some other name, the owner's name for example?

 

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Do these maps help? If correct, looks like it's overgrown with trees, to the west of the dark green area.

From www.aditnow.co.uk : "The colliery was located at the edge of Ladybank Wood at Eckington. The mine was opened in March 1955 by the Mossbrook Colliery Company Ltd employing 12 underground and 2 at grass. The mine closed from September 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 Company 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 the surface by electric engine, built by W. & H. Nelson of Mossend, Glasgow. The mine worked the Parkgate seam."

Mosshouse_Colliery_1964.thumb.png.600f4f

Mosshouse_Colliery_Google_Earth.thumb.pn

 

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It seems that all the information given by Edmund is correct. I know a chap who's father worked at the colliery .

 His father took him down the drift on several occasions.

He can confirm that the colliery was at the bottom of the lane  before the river.

If you carry on up the other side of the lane it leads to the old Plumbley colliery (Seldom Seen).,where you can see the old engine house.

Before you reach the engine house you will pass several slag heaps on the left hand side of the lane,probably only 20 or 30 yards apart which are the remains of several very small drifts .

These small drifts were worked  by the Redfearn family of Eckington  at around the same time that the Mossbrook colliery worked.

The owner was often referred to as "Staffie Redfearn"

 

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Im looking at the site, it appears there is an old tree trunk blocking a side track approx 50m up from the bottom of gashouse lane where the turn in is. I think i need to make this my focus when i visit the site. 

Im informed that when you get to the bottom of the lane where the weir is, if you follow the river up for 100m or so there is another Adit. Can anyone confirm this?

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I remember the mine when I was about 10 we used to walk past it to go and play down at the woods, there were 2 weirs if I remember rightly one was a lot further up the river and we used to use it to cross the river sometimes. It was a good place for catching crayfish? I seem to remember taking a live one to school so it lived in a fish tank in class for a few weeks.

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I've visted the site, the only evidence it was ever there is the entrance which is blocked off with a tree trunk. The actual mine itself is surrounded by barbed wire, once you are through this, there's a slight hump in the ground signifying where the drift is blocked up. The soil is very loose though either through possibly movement or through it being waterlogged. Either way I didn't dare venture further. 

Im still looking for the adit that's on the same side of the valley but faces out onto the stream approx 200m up. Anyone seen this?

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