Guest Phil Morecoal Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 I am currently doing some work on the Woodthorpe estate in Sheff, I’ve become quite intrigued by stories of a pit that used to exist in the area. I was aware that an old colliery used to exist up there and when I’ve had the chance I’ve mentioned the issue whilst chatting to older residents.Info is vague, but it seems to have been situated at the very top of Woodthorpe, between there and Manor Top – the area is currently derelict, apart from one brick “shed†which could possibly be the shaft top – there is also another area which I’ve noticed is always given a wide berth by the grass cutters – they never go anywhere close to a circular indentation of wild scrub. I’ve been told that the pit buildings were situate behind the fire station on Manor Top and that a spoil heap was on the other side of Mansfield/City Rd where the TA Centre is now. Another story is that the old house on Applegarth (just off Manor Top/Mansfld Rd) was the manager’s house. It seems sometimes to be referred to as Manor Pit, but more usually Woodthorpe Pit. I know that that the whole Manor/Woodthorpe area is riddled with old bell-pits, however, this pit seems to have been a more recognisable deep-mine colliery in the late 19th/20thC sense. Does anyone know more about it?– No one I’ve met seems able to put a date on opening or closure. Certainly closed well before nationalisation I believe – most people who know of it seem to be talking about it as if they themselves were told about it – although many seem to definitely remember the spoil heap, a tramway to it under the Mansfld Rd and also the shaft top(s) before capping off and the colliery buildings which (according to stories told to me) stood years after use before demolition. Be interesting to know if it was rail/tramway connected too (unlikely) – or maybe it just supplied the local steel industry or domestic market by cart/lorry? There’s also a “Pit Lane†which is off Mansfield Rd, Manor Top, at the side of the Fire Station – goes nowhere now of course, other than down to the area of grass which must be the old site of the pit. I’ve done a bit of research and it seems that the pit was owned by the Nunnery Colliery Co. and seems to have been working in the 1920s, with a decent sized workforce - but little reference after that time. Can anyone tell me more about it? Particularly opening and closing dates and how long the pit stayed intact after closure. A photo would be great, but that’s probably hoping for too much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Touche Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 [attac hment=14581:1924_Gleadless.gif] I can't provide you with photos but thought you may like to see some maps. I'm not used to uploading so I apologise. Three maps of Gleadless, showing Manor Top with pit workings, dated 1899, 1924 and 1948. Hope this is of some use to you. Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Phil Morecoal Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 [attac hment=14581:1924_Gleadless.gif] I can't provide you with photos but thought you may like to see some maps. I'm not used to uploading so I apologise. Three maps of Gleadless, showing Manor Top with pit workings, dated 1899, 1924 and 1948. Hope this is of some use to you. Richard. Many thanks Richard, appreciate your help - Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart0742 Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 Many thanks Richard, appreciate your help - Phil I have attached a couple of Google Street Views of Mansfield Rd 1. Looking down Mansfield Rd, the TA centre is on the right, In the early 70's this land on the right had a lot less vegitation, and was obviously an old pit spoil heap. 2. Looking up Mansfield Rd, you can still see the remains of the old railway/tramway underbridge, again in the 70's before Applegarth Drive was built you could see more of these bridge remains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 There’s also a “Pit Lane†which is off Mansfield Rd, Manor Top, at the side of the Fire Station – goes nowhere now of course, other than down to the area of grass which must be the old site of the pit. I can't agree with your comment that Pit Lane goes nowhere. As a through road to drive down, you are correct, it is a cul-de-sac. However, at the bottom of Pit Lane behind the fire station is the Post Office sorting office. This is where you have to go if the postman was unable to deliver an item of mail and leaves you one of those " Sorry you were out, collect it yourself from Pit Lane" cards through your letterbox instead. Now if your postman is like ours, [can't open a spring tensioned letterbox, scared to death of a barking dog and criminally litters the street outside our house with discarded red elastic bands] then you will be getting these little "hard lines mate, - come and get your own mail" cards very frequently. ..and making frequent trips down Pit Lane to collect your own mail!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 I have attached a couple of Google Street Views of Mansfield Rd 1. Looking down Mansfield Rd, the TA centre is on the right, In the early 70's this land on the right had a lot less vegitation, and was obviously an old pit spoil heap. Last time I looked at this area on Gooogle Earth (not Google Street) the area of the TA camp and just behind it towards Ridgehill looked very much like an old pit spoil heap as much of it had not become overgrown with vegetation and still had that dark shale appearance to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tsavo Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 I'm sure there was a picture of Mansfield Rd, which included the pit, on Picture Sheffield. Have looked, but can't find it, sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madannie77 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I'm sure there was a picture of Mansfield Rd, which included the pit, on Picture Sheffield. Have looked, but can't find it, sorry. Is this the picture you were thinking of, Tsavo. http://www.picturesheffield.com/jpgh/u04511.jpg A bit of a mystery: That one clearly has a spoil heap in the background, but these two don't, despite having the same date http://www.picturesheffield.com/jpgh/u04509.jpg http://www.picturesheffield.com/jpgh/u04510.jpg Is there some mistake with the dates, or was the spoil heap removed in 1950? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart0742 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Is this the picture you were thinking of, Tsavo. http://www.picturesheffield.com/jpgh/u04511.jpg A bit of a mystery: That one clearly has a spoil heap in the background, but these two don't, despite having the same date http://www.picturesheffield.com/jpgh/u04509.jpg http://www.picturesheffield.com/jpgh/u04510.jpg Is there some mistake with the dates, or was the spoil heap removed in 1950? Picturesheffield only quote a decade on their information, so if they say 1950 what they mean is 1950's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Picturesheffield only quote a decade on their information, so if they say 1950 what they mean is 1950's So to answer this one when did the TA camp open? The TA camp, still there today is on the exact site of the slag heap and I assume it must have been "levelled" to build the camp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart0742 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 So to answer this one when did the TA camp open? The TA camp, still there today is on the exact site of the slag heap and I assume it must have been "levelled" to build the camp. When did the slag heap on the right of Mansfield Rd go, I take it that is where the Fire Station is, the TA centre is on the left, another Slag Heap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madannie77 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 When did the slag heap on the right of Mansfield Rd go, I take it that is where the Fire Station is, the TA centre is on the left, another Slag Heap. An educated guess here is that the slag heap on the right was removed before the end of 1956. http://www.picturesheffield.com/jpgh/u04510.jpg The tram tracks and overhead wires are still in place, so, assuming the tracks were removed or tarred over and the wires cut down soon after the cessation of tram services (which usually happened in Sheffield), the slag heap must have been removed before the abandonment of the tracks here, which was on 7th October 1956. Pity there seems to be no photographic evidence for the heap on the other side of the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 When did the slag heap on the right of Mansfield Rd go, I take it that is where the Fire Station is, the TA centre is on the left, another Slag Heap. You're right Stuart, the TA camp is on the left, behind those boards which were there for many years. I can remember boarding being there on the left when we used to go down Mansfield Road to Hackenthorpe years ago, regardless of weather it was a tip or a TA camp behind it. But in that first picture, that massive heap on the right is on the site of the current fire station, - so how long has the fire station been there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart0742 Posted May 24, 2009 Share Posted May 24, 2009 You're right Stuart, the TA camp is on the left, behind those boards which were there for many years. I can remember boarding being there on the left when we used to go down Mansfield Road to Hackenthorpe years ago, regardless of weather it was a tip or a TA camp behind it. But in that first picture, that massive heap on the right is on the site of the current fire station, - so how long has the fire station been there? Started new topic about Mansfield Rd Fire Station http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/i...ost&p=42313 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ponytail Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 Link to images restored: Mansfield Road looking towards the junction with Hurlfield Road with spoil tip on the right. 6th June 1955. u04511 Photographer: City Engineers and Surveyors Office. https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;u04511&pos=1&action=zoom&id=40008 https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;u04510&pos=1&action=zoom&id=40007 Also: Queen Mary Road, showing former Colliery tip at back of road (former Woodthorpe Colliery)s18968 Photographer: Press Photo Agency. Queen Mary Road, showing colliery tip (former Woodthorpe Colliery). s18969 Photographer: Press Photo Agency. Map of Richmond, Spring Wood and Woodthorpe, c. 1855. https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;arc02931&pos=5&action=zoom&id=93426 From a volume of maps of the parish of Handsworth, based on the enclosure award maps (1805) and corrected up to 1855. Marked: Richmond; Richmond Road; Lamb Hill; Woodthorpe Common; Woodthorpe; Intake;Turnpike Road; Springwood Cottage; Woodthorpe Colliery; Coal Pit; Spring Wood; Parish Boundary. Woodthorpe Colliery 1854-1930. https://www.mindat.org/loc-383123.html Nunnery Woodthorpe Pit 1854-1928. https://www.mindat.org/loc-380201.html Sheffield Collieries (Sheffield, Handsworth, Woodthorpe, High Green, Chapeltown) Wm. Stobart. Section of the several beds of coal and ironstone. 1817. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/c98cc644-645e-4203-9b6b-e3a7aea127c6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
History dude Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 Mansfield Road fire station was built in 1963. They cut the top off the tip to make a base. Some of the waste I think was put on the other side of the road to make it higher than it was. There was a tunnel under Mansfield road to the other side. That place, where the TA centre is, was in fact coke ovens. The rest of the tip was pulled down the hill and flattened by huge earth moving excavators in the 1960's. Big, MASSIVE trucks with big wheels and huge scraping buckets on the back. Something like this: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southside Posted March 30 Share Posted March 30 John Rhodes Spring Wood Cottage: Whites Directory 1862. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
History dude Posted March 30 Share Posted March 30 Springwood Cottage can be seen on the last photo I uploaded, just below the chimney. There was an old shoe shop at Intake, which I think it can be seen on Ponytail's first picture. I remember going to it as a child. Could it have been William Makin's old shop? Joseph Seaton was the first landlord of the Elm Tree. He opened the Beer House around 1839. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viners Posted March 30 Share Posted March 30 Those photos with the slag heaps in them look quite oppressive and concerningly close to homes. I know that many of them have now been levelled and landscaped. It feels strange that they were once accepted and went along with there being jobs in collieries and people having a living. It makes me think about things that are acceptable or common practise today and will be looked back upon differently in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
History dude Posted March 30 Share Posted March 30 The Photos are a bit deceptive as the homes are higher up than any run off from the slag heap. Even if they were to have collapsed, the run-off would have gone down the valley, not into the houses. Ironically, the breeze blocks used to make the Boot Houses in the pictures (named after Henry Boot, the builder), were made of the slag material. These pictures give the sense of the size of the tip. Plus how high the houses were. Also notice no Arbourthorne and Woodthorpe estates. The one which show the City shows why the houses were built. SMOG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lysanderix Posted March 30 Share Posted March 30 Hi, Do you have a date for these pix? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
History dude Posted March 30 Share Posted March 30 Around 1930. Prince Edward's was open by then. And the houses that still front Prince of Wales Road are still under construction. They are Picture Sheffield pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RLongden Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 Britain from above has some nice aerial shots from 1927… along with user comments against pins. https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EPW018975 https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EPW018973 https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EPW018971 If you have a login, you can zoom in to some really intricate detail on the photos. Or if not, it’s easy to create an account with BFA and there are lots of great photos of Sheffield, in and around to explore! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
History dude Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 The two close-ups are from the BFA site RLongden. The Railway Man comments are me, by the way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RLongden Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 9 hours ago, History dude said: The two close-ups are from the BFA site RLongden. The Railway Man comments are me, by the way! Ha! Nice one. The comments from 2014 are mine! 😁👍 Just looking at your previous posts on Woodthorpe Colliery on another thread in SH. I’m assuming from the map there was an ‘upper’ and ‘lower’ colliery, hence my distinction in the comment on BFA? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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