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Swallows Colliery Mosborough


miamivice

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I’m researching a bit of info on Swallows Colliery at Mosborough, it was located where the Spoil heap is at the back of Elm Crescent In Mosborough, accessible once from a lane leading off Mosborough Moor called Swallows Lane. 

As you approach the far end of the spoil heap there are 2 manhole access covers for the open shaft. Has anyone any information about when they were filled in or capped off? 

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It is but I was looking specifically for when it was filled in or any memories people might have of it?

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From speaking to a few people during Moorside being mined in the late 80’s they tunnelled through some of the old workings at Swallows. Supposedly the Swallows Colliery has issues with gas, so it cannot be filled in, presumably why it has 2 inspection covers, there is a gas monitoring device in there. A friend of mine said he remembers vaguely in the 80’s there being a cage over it that periodically used to subside as the shaft collar caved in.

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Happened to be wandering about last week on Mosborough Moor, managed to  snap the remains of an old coal tub in the undergrowth presumably from the old Moorside Colliery. It was in the undergrowth on a MASSIVE sheet of concrete which may or may not be coving an old adit. 

Also found what appeared to me the footings for the original pit head in the woods at Swallows Colliery. Further probing on the Coal Authorities website shows another shaft has appeared on their mapping system a few metres to the East of the two existing shafts. No evidence could be found of this. Not sure whether I was hoping for a gaping big hole in the ground! 

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8 hours ago, RLongden said:

@miamivice  Have you seen this excellent album on Flickr? It has some excellent shots of Moorside and I remember it being like this when I used to venture over that way in the 90’s or maybe even early 00’s?

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmWnGPtd

 

Some fascinating shots there of the pit just after it’s closure. The area with the concrete and the old coal tub looks as if it was just beyond the pictures. I’m assuming they dragged all the waste up out the way once they built the houses. About 15 years ago I do recall there being a pile of bricks in the same area which seems to have disappeared, again presumably from one of the numerous brick small sheds located in the area. 

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44 minutes ago, RLongden said:

I believe that Swallows Colliery may have originally being called Silkstone Main, when first sunk? See this link with reference to it being sunk in 1839 by Richard Swallow and other references to neighbouring collieries 

http://www.staniforthfamily.com/MosboroughBook.html

I’m unsure if Silkstone referred to the seam of coal? Various evidence suggests that the pit shaft was between 146-160m deep - the coal authority suggests the latter. At some point in recent time the Coal Authorities website gave much more detail but now it’s basic in its information. Various sources have said the Moorside Colliery passed through Swallows workings in the early 90’s which may or may not suggest when it was filled in and capped. 

There is an inspection cover there but I’m afraid I’ve not got the apples to be lifting that up to check if there’s an abyss below...

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Remember this from 2013? You’re in the thread @miamivice

Ken Wain (author of my excellent book) quotes it as Silkstone and yes it is also the name of one of the seams. Although granted, on later maps it does start to bear the name Swallow’s Colliery. Maybe so as not to confuse it with the seam, or other collieries of the same name?
 

I’ll keep looking. It keeps me off the streets and nothing doing on the plot this time of year. Next time you’re there and see the car on, feel free to pop down for a cuppa and a natter about this. 😁👍

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Spoke to the Coal Authority on this, they were incredibly helpful. Below ground level it has a 5.6mx5.6m cap with an inspection vent pipe, the cap is 75cm thick. The shafts are unfilled as the CA need to go in periodically. It was capped off within the last 26 years. There is also another shaft that is just behind 47/49/51 house. 

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