Dear Martin,
The hills around Keighley are full of coal pits, dating from late
mediaeval times to the 1850s. One was worked for a time in the mid
1920s.
Within three or four miles of the town centre (ie including Oakworth)
you can forget about Coal Measures seams; which are found near
Baildon, Denholme and Laneshawbridge. There are no non-ferrous
metal mines and all the coal seams belong to the upper strata of the
Millstone Grits. Some, for example at Howden Clough near Silsden,
were associated with iron ore and were worked for the same. Heaps
of scoria can still be found - probably dating from the monastic period
to the early 17th century. You may have something similar at
Oakworth. At Denholme, iron-pyrites in the coal was used for
making copperas, which was used as a mordant in wool dying.
The most likely person to know about the site is:-
A.(Ann?) Armstrong,
Keeper of Geology
Cliffe Castle Museum, Keighley, West Yorkshire.
Best wishes,
--------------------------------
Mike Gill
President and Recorder of the NORTHERN MINE RESEARCH SOCIETY
Britain's foremost mining history society at:-
http://www.exeter.ac.uk/~RBurt/MinHistNet/NMRS.html
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