JS2021 Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 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 More sharing options...
MartinR Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 I've got to rush, but the following URLs may help: Durham Mining Museum Wikipedia - in particular look at the references for more leads Grace's Guide HTH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RLongden Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 Here are all 3 https://www.mindat.org/search.php?search=Birley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JS2021 Posted October 19, 2021 Author Share Posted October 19, 2021 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 More sharing options...
History dude Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 Here's some information on them from my note book. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JS2021 Posted October 26, 2021 Author Share Posted October 26, 2021 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 More sharing options...
MartinR Posted October 26, 2021 Share Posted October 26, 2021 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 More sharing options...
MartinR Posted October 26, 2021 Share Posted October 26, 2021 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. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
History dude Posted October 26, 2021 Share Posted October 26, 2021 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. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JS2021 Posted November 14, 2021 Author Share Posted November 14, 2021 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 More sharing options...
RLongden Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 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 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miamivice Posted November 29, 2021 Share Posted November 29, 2021 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 More sharing options...
RLongden Posted November 29, 2021 Share Posted November 29, 2021 @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. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miamivice Posted November 30, 2021 Share Posted November 30, 2021 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 More sharing options...
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