Wath Collieries
Large areas around the town of Wath upon Dearne in the valley of the River Dearne were turned over to coal mining and its attendant industries in the second half of the 19th Century. It brought employment for many and enormous wealth for some. The pall of smoke and the stench from the coke works hung over the area until the 1980s when all the collieries and works were closed. Much of the area has now been reclaimed and the land put to more modern uses.
Cortonwood Colliery
I have little information about Cortonwood. The pit was owned by Cortonwood Collieries Co. Ltd., Wombwell, Barnsley, Yorks prior to nationalisation. Cortonwood Colliery closed in 1986. The Cortonwood site is now being developed, and contains houses, an industrial estate, a supermarket, a restaurant, and many more buildings which are appearing by the month.
Manvers Main
Manvers Main at Wath consisted of three collieries. The first was sunk in the late 1890s, the second 1900-1901 but when the third shaft was started has eluded me. Manvers was owned by Manvers Main Collieries Ltd., Wath-on-Dearne, Rotherham, Yorks in 1945. It was part of one the largest smelliest, and dirtiest concentrations of industry in South Yorkshire with coking ovens and vast railway yards, as well as the pits. These all closed in the 1980s and the site is now Manvers Park and new trading estates. In 2008 work is going ahead developing the housing and recreational facilities on this site.
Wath Main
The sinking of Wath Main began in 1875. There were two shafts when the mine was fully working. I don't have a date but I believe that it closed in the 1980s. With Manvers Main it was part of one the largest smelliest, and dirtiest concentrations of industry in South Yorkshire with coking ovens and vast railway yards, as well as the pits. These all closed in the 1980s and the site is now Manvers Park and new trading estates.