Jump to content

Birley collieries


JS2021

Recommended Posts

Can anyone check I have these dates and locations right for Birley West and Birley West collieries ? 
There appears to be contradictory and/or confusing info out there !

Birley colliery branch line 1855 to 1950 (officially closed 1953)

Birley Colliery West - at SK39.8 + 84.3 - 1876 to 1908

Birley Colliery East - at SK42.2 + 84.2 - 1887/90 to 1943, just training from 1944 on, but when did it actually close completely

Is Birleyvale colliery (on my 1903 map at 39.2 + 84.0) a separate mine ? And if so what were its dates and is my location correct ? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for those links, the problem is much of the info on the web about Birley Collieries is a bit contradictory. I was hoping there was someone on here with personal interest in them who may know the actual histories !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for that.

Could I just clarify what those site locations mean ?

E.g. Birley East : 980yd . S . 20 degrees E of Woodhouse church 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

S20°E  ⇒  Look South (180°) then turn 20° to the East and you will be on a bearing of 160° (roughly SSE), then proceed 980 yards along that bearing.

N11°E  ⇒  Look North (000°) then turn 11° to the East and you will be on a bearing of 011° (roughly NbE), then proceed 620 yards along that bearing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think this will be the place.  I don't know where Birleymoor Farm is/was, but you can use the same technique if you find it.

scan0001.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This map shows the location of the mines better. Birleymoor Farm would be located where the community centre is, the farm pond having survived. The unnamed lane just below it with a quarry at the end is Fox Lane, still there.   

Birley Coll Map.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all that, it seems we have agreed where the mines were, better still the above info agrees with where I drew them on my historic maps.

Can we confirm these days of opening and closing :

Birley Colliery West - 1876 to 1908

Birley Colliery East - 1887/90 to 1943, just training from 1944 on, but when did it actually close completely

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, JS2021 said:

Thanks for all that, it seems we have agreed where the mines were, better still the above info agrees with where I drew them on my historic maps.

Can we confirm these days of opening and closing :

Birley Colliery West - 1876 to 1908

Birley Colliery East - 1887/90 to 1943, just training from 1944 on, but when did it actually close completely


Birley East Colliery

Silkstone seam abandoned 1934

Coal production ceased completely November 1943

Training centre opened and training commenced December 1943

Training stopped June 1948

Birley East branch line closed 1950

Underground and surface quipment stripped out and buildings demolished 1950-1952

Downcast shaft filled to surface Feb 1963

Upcast shaft filled to surface May 1986

Both shafts capped February 1990

Training centre buildings on Beighton Road demolished 1998

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 14/11/2021 at 16:39, RLongden said:


Birley East Colliery

Silkstone seam abandoned 1934

Coal production ceased completely November 1943

Training centre opened and training commenced December 1943

Training stopped June 1948

Birley East branch line closed 1950

Underground and surface quipment stripped out and buildings demolished 1950-1952

Downcast shaft filled to surface Feb 1963

Upcast shaft filled to surface May 1986

Both shafts capped February 1990

Training centre buildings on Beighton Road demolished 1998

 

 

Where did you find this data out? Wondered the same about a couple of the shafts near Mosborough, finding treatment dates of shafts is like Top Secret data. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@miamivice Half a dozen or so sources, some info online, some in Ken Wain’s excellent book and I agree that there is so much data on our local collieries scattered about online and elsewhere, it’s difficult to piece together. Is it info on Swallows and Moorside you are looking for? Let me know what and I’ll see what I can find. 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Moorside I have the bulk of the data on, the Adits were left untreated by Moorside and were filled in by Hassells in March 1992 who built the houses on the site, according to my calculations the adit is/was where the driveway to the new house is. 

Any information on Swallows has been anecdotal from friends who lived round there in the seventies/eighties that simply recall a cage over the shaft that kept caving in. I can find no other information that that. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...