Coal Mining
A Short History of the Mains
There are few areas in the borough of Rotherham that have not been blighted by the extraction of coal at one time or another. The Carboniferous coal-bearing strata are close to the surface in South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Early coal mining as far back as the 13th Century was conducted by a small team of perhaps a man and a boy using shallow 'bell-pits', the remains of which have been found in various areas of the borough. By the 16th Century visitors to the town commented about the goodly pits of coal, which was used to heat many of the houses, although, because of its impurities, it was unsuitable for iron-making.
Coal exploitation progressed into shafts which were accessed by ladders. The coal was brought out in wicker baskets ensuring that there was a fine trade in basket-making nearby. These needed shoring up to prevent collapse and pumps were often necessary to keep the shafts clear of water. As the seams of coal were excavated firedamp and chokedamp became problems. In the days before safety lamps fire was a constant threat.
Old Ordnance Survey maps show many parts of the borough of Rotherham were riddled with mine workings. The Survey of 1851 shows Rawmarsh and Parkgate surrounded by coal shafts and pits that were described as 'old' even then. This map shows small collieries like Swallow Wood and Victoria at Rawmarsh. Later surveys (1893 & 1901) show larger operations - once again at Rawmarsh - Newbiggin, Roundwood and Aldwarke, or at Greasbrough - Car House.
20th Century Rotherham brought larger pits - those that once operated in the Borough of Rotherham: - Deep mining - Wath on Dearne, Manvers, Cortonwood, Kilnhurst, Stubbin, Silverwood, Thurcroft, Dinnington, Maltby, Treeton, Orgreave, Brookhouse, Kiveton Park Colliery. Of these only Maltby is still working and this will close by 2015 when the seams are exhausted, if not before. Other pits I have come across in my reading were Barley Hall Colliery at Thorpe Hesley and Grange Colliery at Droppingwell which closed in the 1960s.
Open casting - In 20th Century Rotherham strip mining has extracted millions of tons of coal from just below the surface e.g. from 1944 at Swallownest which was excavated with draglines. Rother Valley Country Park is the site of another opencast operation, as is Barkers Park at Kimberworth.
What can you say about the pits - centuries of filthy backbreaking toil, low wages and exploitation? Then a few brief years of reasonable affluence now slipped into the dark seams of time. There is a long list of the disappeared: pits, miners, prosperity and all, but I won't bore you with the whole sorry tale. I've often considered the many, many millions that must have been made out of coal mining and wondered where it has gone because there is precious little sign of it around Rotherham these days.
For those of you who know nothing about mining there were several words in use - colliery, pit, mine and most commonly used around here 'Main'. Espondents have two theories about the origin of this term: some think it is a local pronunciation of 'mine' whilst other consider that it is named after the main shaft of the pit.
Closely associated with coal mining were the coking plants and their unmistakable smell and aura. The improvement in air quality across the borough has been quite remarkable since they all closed.
Colliery waste tips containing all the matter dug up that was not coal, spoil heaps created as a result of washing raw coal and the associated slurry ponds were for along time blots on large areas of South Yorkshire. Foul and containing toxic chemicals they were extremely nasty. Most of these areas are now in the process of being reclaimed and covered with housing, trading states and light industry.
Many of the old mine workings still exist although shafts and galleries have collapsed. Water and gas deposits (firedamp and chokedamp) still build up and there are venting shafts and pumping stations to release the pressure. These can be found in many parts of the borough. This pumping station is at Parkgate. It was built about 1828 to pump from Newbiggin Colliery and appears to be in use today.
The nearest Mining Museum appears to be Caphouse Colliery, the National Coal Mining Museum for England. This is at Overton, between Wakefield and Huddersfield.
Links to Other Websites
If you are interested in digging up more information about coal mining you can find links to sites at:–